


The Butterfly and the Moth

by LiannaVine



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Awkward Romance, Drama & Romance, F/M, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Hashirama has children, Jinchuuriki exist, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Madara has a niece, Non-Explicit Sex, Plot with Romance, Pre-Canon, Romance With Plot, Secret Relationship, Strong Female Characters, Team Hashirama, Tragedy, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 72,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25837465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiannaVine/pseuds/LiannaVine
Summary: Konoha is a young village. A village that should unite shinobi clans and make them one big family. Yet old traditions die slowly, and some clans have trouble seeing their new neighbours as equals. In such times, marriage becomes a powerful tool to strenghten bonds. While Uchiha and Senju try to unite their clans through a wedding vow, the Hyuuga prefer to stay among themselves.Tobirama Senju has devoted his life to Konoha, and thus to his work as the Hokage's advisor. Keeping the peace in the village is his first priority. But those priorities get challenged when a woman makes her way into his life.(This story takes place in an AU. It's pretty canon-like, but I do make a few changes to the world and background stories, just so it all makes more sense to me personally and goes more into the direction I would have liked canon to go. Most of those changes aren't really relevant for this story I'd say, which takes place ~50 years before canon. But yeah, if anything strikes you as different from canon (like Hashirama being a Jinchuuriki), that's most likely not a mistake but something I changed intentionally.)
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 58
Kudos: 75





	1. Prologue

When Akari Hyuuga and her family moved to Konoha, she was five years old.

The first person she talked to was Inori Uchiha, who was her age and stood between the two founders of the village when Akari stopped in front of the big gates with her father and clan. Madara, Hashirama and Tobirama were welcoming her family. And Inori was welcoming her.

"You are wearing a really beautiful dress!" Inori ran to her and threw one of the biggest smiles Akari had ever seen at her.

"Thank you. My mother made it for me," Akari answered.

"Really? That's cool. I wish my mother could also make dresses for me. But she's dead." Weirdly enough, there was still a smile on her face.

Akari's lips dropped. "My mother is dead too now." It had only been a few days, maybe a bit over a week, since Akari had lost her mother. Her death was the reason her father abandoned their village, their home in the Land of Water, and moved to Konoha.

Konoha was the first big shinobi village that promised peace. The first village that united clans. Here, everyone was a family, no matter their blood. Or at least that was the vision Hashirama Senju had when founding it.

Akari couldn't imagine living in this place yet. Except for a river running through the village, there was no water all. It was far away from the ocean Akari had grown up with and lay hidden deep in a forest. There were houses everywhere, and so were people. Even those who weren't shinobi lived there among them.

Civilians living in a shinobi village, it was odd, her father had said. Yet here they were.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Inori said. Her head slightly nodded towards the Hyuuga's clan head. She'd almost pointed her finger at him but remembered the good-mannerism lessons. "But you still have your father, right?"

Akari nodded. Her father was busy talking to Konoha's leader a bit further up, a tall man with long dark hair. The little girl stayed behind with her clan, her family, eyeing the many new people in front of her suspiciously.

Hashirama laughed out so loud the girl flinched. He didn't look anything like Akari had imagined it on their way to Konoha. Her father told her he was a living legend, one of the strongest shinobi alive. Her vision of a born leader and living legend did not include loud laughing in public and cracking jokes.

She looked at the man standing next to him, arms crossed in front of him, Madara Uchiha. He had even longer hair, pitch black. He was the opposite of Hashirama. No smile found his lips. Yet like Hashirama, he was another legend.

"Is he your father?" Akari asked the little girl. Him and Inori looked much alike, and he'd stood next to her like a father stood next to his child.

Inori shook her head and explained that her father had been killed on the battlefield. So was her mother. Madara Uchiha was her uncle, the man who'd raised her.

The third man standing with them looked the strangest to Akari. He had grey hair and red eyes. It wasn't something Akari had ever seen before. She'd grown up in her clan's village, surrounded by people with lilac eyes and dark hair. Her father had told her that Tobirama was the Hokage's brother and advisor, yet they didn't look like brothers at all. If anything, Hashirama and Madara looked alike, and Tobirama and Madara behaved alike.

Akari couldn't quite pin down why yet, but she could feel there was something different about Tobirama, something that set him apart form the two founders of Konoha. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe there was something that set the two founders apart from him, from all of them.

"Hey, do you want me to show you around Konoha?" Inori grabbed Akari's hand, interrupting her thoughts. "The village is reeeeally big." She used her free hand to try and show just how big Konoha was. "Can I, uncle? Can I take her?"

Akari didn't want to go with her, but rejecting her offer seemed too impolite. Konoha sure was big. And the idea of walking around this unknown village in a foreign country with a girl from another clan appalled her. She'd learned not to trust strangers. Strangers killed you. Strangers killed her mother. How she was supposed to live in this village filled with strangers she didn't know.

Inori still pleaded to her uncle.

Madara looked at Hashirama, then at Akari's father. Hashirama instantly nodded with a big smile, but Akari's father was more hesitant. Hashirama gave him a reassuring clap on the shoulder, one that lead to an awkward silence. The Hyuuga's clan head was a stiff man, and a man who wasn't used to anyone acting that casual around him.

Akari was sure he'd forbid her to go. Yet he cleared his throat and allowed his daughter a quick look.

Two Hyuuga members stepped forth and followed Akari, who was being dragged towards Konoha's big gates.

"Eh, why are they coming too?" Inori asked, stopping.

"They are my guards," Akari explained.

"The Hokage said the village is safe. You don't need them here."

"But… they are always with me." For a moment, Akari feared she would have to let go of her guards as well.

The two girls were now right next to Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha now, the three men that stood on top of Uchiha. Akari stared up at them, still wondering why her heart started to beat heavily in their vicinity. All she could tell was that Hashirama smelled of earth and forest. It was almost the exact same smell that had been stuck in her nose all the way through the woods to Konoha. It was a new smell.

Hashirama smiled at her when he realised she was looking at him. The girl quickly turned away, scared she'd be scolded for staring.

Her eyes wandered to his brother, who, just like Madara, had not smiled once yet. His scent was more familiar to Akari. It was missing the salt of the ocean, but he did smell of water.

Inori frowned at her new friends and the two guards standing behind her, but she was fine continuing with them.

Akari was so distracted by the three men that she stumbled over her own feet when following Inori. She was falling, her guards immediately reached out to her, but they were too slow. Someone else had been faster.

Madara caught the little girl before she could fall over.

A sudden feeling overcame her, one she could not name at all. It was like an immense energy surrounded her, originating in Madara. The power was immense. Immense and dark.

Akari pulled away so hard and quickly that she now fell backwards, away from the stranger, and landed on her butt instead. She stared up at Madara, her eyes big with shock.

It was quiet around them for a moment.

Akari's guards quickly helped her stand up after the initial wonder what had happed passed.

An awkward tension built up between the adults.

Hashirama did his best to try and lighten the mood again by laughing. "Madara, you really need to take better care of those beasts of yours. Don't let them scare children."

Akari's father eyed his daughter. There was a small frown on his face. "I assume you two got those tailed beasts under control. My clan used to harvest their powers too, but it didn't end well."

"We do, of course. There's no need to worry." Hashirama was speaking in a more serious tone now. "Madara and I never had any issues with our tailed beasts."

"I didn't think she'd be able to sense them," Madara calmly said.

"It really is impressive." Hashirama kneeled next to Akari, showing her a thumbs-up.

The girl didn't know what that gesture was supposed to mean, and she also didn't understand what was supposedly so impressive. How could anyone not have felt that energy?

"Akari is my pride. A bright one." Her father put a hand on her head.

She wanted to hold onto him, wrap her arms around his leg. There were too many strangers around, strangers she found scary. But Akari kept standing straight, hands folded in front of her, just like she'd been taught.

"In Konoha, we are all family." Hashirama said. "We show this by training the children of other clans, teaching them all we know about this world. It has long been decided that Inori Uchiha here will be my student one day. I might take your daughter as a student too. An Uchiha and a Hyuuga, seems like a fine match to me. But only with your approval, of course."

It took her father a moment to nod and say, "It would be an honour, Lord Hokage."

"Can we finally go now?" Inori said impatiently. She took Akari's hand again, and proudly led her through to gates into Konoha, her home.

That day, Inori Uchiha decided that Akari Hyuuga ought to be her new best friend. Hashirama Senju decided that Akari Hyuuga ought to be his student. And her father decided that Konohagakure was to be his daughter's new home. Akari would grow up as a shinobi of the Leaf Village.


	2. The Hokage's Advisor

Hashirama was standing in front of Sunagakure with a group of his most trusted shinobi. The air was hot and dry, and filled with tension.

A group of Suna shinobi approached. Among them were elite ninja as well as sealing masters.

"Lord Hokage?" one of them said. "We'd like you to accompany us. The Kazekage is waiting."

Hashirama smiled and nodded. He was ready to go with them when Tobirama grabbed his shoulder.

"Please, brother. This is too risky. Do we really need –" Tobirama was about to start one last discussion with his older brother, despite having lost all the ones before. But Hashirama cut him off.

"Stop worrying, Tobi." He smiled again. A gesture that didn't reassure his brother at all. "The world will not become a better place if you never take any risks. And change is always a risk. But let's believe it will change for the better."

He turned away from his brother and his shinobi, meeting all their eyes one last time to give them the same smile he gave Tobirama. Then he left with the foreign shinobi towards Sunagakure.

All the ones he left behind could do was wait.

Tobirama was sitting on a stone, in the shades of a tree. His arms were crossed in front of him, eyes closed. He looked completely calm, though his students, who knew him, could tell he was nervous.

"Come on guys, why do you all have these gloomy looks on your faces? Hashirama-sensei will be fine."

He opened his eyes a bit to glance at the girl who ended the silence of the desert. Inori had a bright and optimistic smile on her face, one that reminded him of his brother. She gave Akari a slap on the shoulder to try and cheer her up.

Akari only frowned back at her. "He is surrounded by Suna shinobi. Without weapons because he chose to leave them. If they wanted to take the ninetails from him, I'm sure they could."

Akari Hyuuga and Inori Uchiha were Hashirama's beloved former students, them and a third one who stayed in the village. He would always refer to them as Konoha's future. But only one of the girls had inherited his carefree attitude, and it was Madara's niece.

"There's no question it is risky," Hiruzen now spoke. "But I think it's respectable that our Hokage is ready to put his own life on the line for a better future." He looked at Tobirama, his former teacher, as if looking for affirmation.

Tobirama closed his eyes again. "We'll soon see whether it was respectable or just foolish."

About an hour later, the Konoha shinobi had their answer as Hashirama came walking back to them, a bright smile on his face.

"From today onwards," he announced as soon as he was close. "Sunagakure and Konohagakure are officially allies. May these peaceful times continue even longer!"

* * *

Tobirama was sitting at the desk in his office, ten different piles of documents in front of him. He looked through the applications for the Chuunin exams again, making sure they were in alphabetical order. With Sunagakure secured as an ally, the Leaf Village could focus completely on the upcoming exams again, or rather, Tobirama could.

The door opened. His brother entered.

"How often do I have to tell you to knock?" Tobirama let the document drop onto a pile while throwing a dark glance at Hashirama.

His brother ignored the scolding. "You know, I actually have an idea for the Chuunin exams."

Tobirama raised a brow, but his brother had caught his attention.

"How about we organise a festival around it?" Hashirama said, full of excitement.

"A festival." He ran a hand over half his face, sighed. "Brother, this exam is supposed to show us which shinobi in our village are ready to _fight_ for us. It's an evaluation of skill, not a reason to go drinking and gambling."

"Right, right, I know that." Hashirama was still smiling. He looked at all the piles on Tobirama's desk, his eyes searching for something. He took some of the documents, looked inside, put them down again.

Tobirama looked like he was close to punching his brother for causing disarray.

Finally, Hashirama found what he was looking for. "But just look at the increase of civilian inhabitants Konoha has recorded. We should think of them too while holding the exams, right? A festival held during the Chuunin exams will increase our income and thus strengthen our economy. Our townspeople can open shops and stalls, and visitors form nearby cities might come by too." Hashirama spoke with more and more excitement. "I even thought about holding a tournament with show matches at the end of the Chuunin exams. We should invite our daimyo, make sure we stay in his favour."

Tobirama frowned. "A festival _and_ a tournament with show matches? Who's supposed to organise all this in the little time left?"

Hashirama clapped his younger brother on the shoulder, a big grin on his face. "You are so talented with all this paper stuff, I'm sure you'd manage. Just give it some thought."

"Well… I guess this actually isn't your worst idea. It could help our economy."

"I'm glad I could help by providing good ideas!" Hashirama turned on his heels and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Having a stroll through Konoha. I have to make sure our village is doing fine, right?" With those words, Hashirama was gone.

Tobirama sighed, scratching his head. " _Help._ You just left me alone with more work to do," he grumbled. Though Tobirama didn't really mind. He often complained about his brother loading all his paperwork off on him, but he never complained about the work as such. Tobirama could appreciate paperwork. He appreciated the peace in it. And if paperwork was his destiny for the rest of his life, then he would be absolutely content with that. At least paperwork hadn't killed anyone as far as he knew.

He checked the watch. It was time for his daily work-out. Two hours left before the meeting with the Chuunin and Jounin would take place. Preparations for the Chuunin exams were in full swing.

He put on his armour before leaving his office. It was an old habit. For most of Tobirama's early life, he didn't know what safety was supposed to mean. Safety didn't exist. One had to be prepared to be murdered at any point in time.

Times had changed, but old habits stayed. Tobirama couldn't help putting on protective armour before leaving the house, despite Konoha being over 15 years old. 15 years of relative peace.

He ran into his brother again on his way outside. Him and his son.

"You should have taken me with you to Sunagakure," Takuma complained, but his tone was rather amused. "I was bored here in Konoha."

Tobirama wanted to walk past them. He had business with neither, but his nephew stopped him.

"Uncle, actually I have great news to announce. You should stay."

The man was only slightly intrigued. He couldn't really think of much the boy would be able to surprise him with. Yet he stopped to listen.

There was a grin on Takuma's face as he broke the news to his father and uncle in the middle of the entrance hall. "I'm going to be a father."

Tobirama's face stayed blank. Surely that was a surprise after all, and not the good kind of surprises. He glanced at his brother to observe his reaction.

Hashirama took it with surprising calmness. "Are we talking about a time frame of the next nine months here or just any time in the far-away future?"

"My girlfriend is pregnant. Right now."

Hashirama ran a hand over his eyes, a big frown formed on his head. "Do I know this girlfriend?"

"Natsumi. She's a civilian girl." Takuma still wore a content smile on his lips.

Tobirama could tell that this was yet another achievement in his nephew's eyes. Not only did he get a random girl pregnant, it was also a girl that belonged to neither Senju nor Uchiha, or any other noble clan.

"Maybe you two should go home. The entrance hall of the Hokage building is no place to discuss this matter," Tobirama noted. Rumours spread fast in the small village, and there was still hope in him that this was a simple prank after all. Or maybe a false alarm.

Hashirama's face was hard to read, which was rare. The Hokage usually wore his heart on his sleeve. "Your uncle is right," he eventually said. "We will discuss this tonight."

He left the building so fast, it almost looked like he was fleeing the scene.

No muscles in Tobirama's face flinched during the conversation. He stared his nephew down, arms crossed in front of his chest. "An illegitimate child… Is that your way of getting your father's attention?"

"I didn't plan on this if that's what you are trying to suggest, uncle."

He straightened himself. "My brother might be too soft to say this outright, but your behaviour is disrespectful, Takuma. Disrespectful towards your father, disrespectful towards the Uchiha, and disrespectful towards Konoha. What do you think Madara will say to this?"

"He'll probably be secretly relieved that my father can finally stop with his nonsense idea of a Senju marrying an Uchiha."

"You should care more about the village and less about yourself. Maybe then you and your father would actually have something to talk about." Tobirama too left the boy to go after his brother. This situation was not just a matter of an illegitimate child. This pregnancy could threaten the peace between Senju and Uchiha. Tobirama considered all this while tracking down his brother. He found him in the backyard of the Hokage building, sitting on a bench.

Hashirama was in a surprisingly good mood. "I'm going to be a grandfather." His eyes glowed at Tobirama, full of pride and anticipation.

Tobirama could barely believe his ears, yet he wasn't surprised. "You shouldn't let him hear you or he might actually come to believe his behaviour is not pure impudence. This does not only concern you and Takuma, this is an issue that concerns our whole village."

"I know, I know. I'll have to talk to Inori."

"It's not really your student I'm worried about."

"Madara was never fond of the idea of my son marrying his niece. He might feel slightly insulted, but he will get over it."

"I wasn't talking about Madara either, brother. There is a whole clan of Uchiha out there who expected our clans to join through marriage. Whether they liked the idea in the first place or not, this will give them reason to feel betrayed and distrust us." Tobirama stopped there. His brother was nodding knowingly. "Anyways, I was headed to the training grounds. Do you want to join? Maybe a spar could help you clear your mind."

Hashirama shook his head, but thanked him. "I better make sure to get all the Hokage stuff done as fast as possible, so I have some time for Takuma."

Tobirama left his brother alone. His training time was already cut short, and if he took into account the time he would need to take a shower and get ready for the Chuunin exam meeting, it almost wasn't worth anymore to even start training. But discipline and a set course of the day forbid him to conveniently omit his training.

* * *

Tobirama's hair was still wet when he was on his way to the conference room. Once again he was glad they had decided to build flats into the Hokage building. It was convenient he never had to walk back to the Senju compound for a quick shower or after working late into the night.

He was the first to arrive to the meeting, but that didn't surprise him. There was still some time left, which he used to go over his notes again.

His team were the first to arrive. He'd left the door open, so they walked inside and greeted him with a polite "Good afternoon, Tobirama-sensei," before taking a seat at the table. Tobirama had taken three boys as students. Kagami Uchiha, Danzou Shimura, and the heir of the Sarutobi clan, Hiruzen. They quietly talked about their last mission until Hashirama's two girls entered.

Inori was Madara's niece, but since her uncle had no children of his own, and Izuna had died when she was still a little baby, Madara had raised her like his own daughter. She was the heiress of the Uchiha clan, one of the most important people in Konoha. And she was also the woman Takuma had been supposed to marry. The engagement had not been made official, but there were enough conversations between Madara and Hashirama on the topic to assume it was more than just a vague idea.

Tobirama wondered whether she already knew. But it was improbable. Hashirama was a rather slow person, and her face revealed no ill feelings.

Inori was happily chatting with her teammate, Akari Hyuuga. Akari held a similar social position to Inori, the princess of the Hyuuga clan.

Hashirama's third student was missing.

Tobirama impatiently had his eyes on the clock. Three minutes past their meeting time, he asked for the first time, "Where is Riku Hatake?"

Inori shrugged.

"Would you like us to look for him?" Akari asked.

Tobirama shook his head. "I will start without him if he has not arrived in five minutes. You two can inform him later."

They waited, and just when Hiruzen was about to close the door to start the meeting, Riku came flying into the room, accompanied by a fresh breeze of cheerfulness. He was the odd one out in Hashirama's former team. A mere farmer's boy who'd proved awfully talented in ninjutsu.

He sat down next to Inori and started telling her tales of his day. Riku had only recently become a father and enjoyed nothing more but to brag with his son, Sakumo.

Tobirama didn't say a word, but threw dark glances at the two chatting vividly. They only stopped when Akari hushed them.

He cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming here, especially to those who ensured to arrive on time."

Riku scoffed at his comment.

"As I already informed you, the six of you are tasked with the practical part of the Chuunin exams. I have prepared information sheets for you that further explain the schedule. The practical part of the exam will take place in two weeks' time."

He gave them a short moment to read through it. All six of them were considered to be Jounin. The system of ranking Konoha's shinobi into Genin, Chuunin and Jounin was fairly new. When Tobirama had been their age, it didn't exist yet. Back in those times, you were either one of those who stayed alive, or you weren't.

"There are six Genin teams this year, three shinobi each as usual," he summarised the information on the sheets. "Each of you will be given a scroll. The Genin's mission is to retrieve the scroll from you, using whatever means they see fit."

Kagami hummed. "Scrolls, huh? You should have chosen bells for the nostalgic factor." Hiruzen and Danzo both sniggered at his comment. Tobirama too threw a short smile his way.

"Isn't this a bit unfair to the poor kids?" Riku asked. "I mean, how are they supposed to get a scroll from us?"

"That's what they are supposed to figure out. However, as it says on the sheet, none of you is allowed to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. You might hold back as you see fit. I'm aware no Genin would be able to get a scroll from any of you, but keep in mind this test is about evaluating their skills, not actually acquiring an item. If you deem their efforts worthy enough, reward them with the scroll."

The six Jounin nodded. The meeting continued for a while until there were no more questions and everyone was familiar with their role.

When everyone was leaving, Tobirama stopped Riku. "I've read the last mission report you handed it. It rather pained my eyes. I'd appreciate it if you could revise it and hand it in again by noon tomorrow."

Immediately, Inori threw teasing grins at her teammate. Riku's writing skills had always been abysmal.

"Akari was supposed to read over it," he complained.

"I can hardly read over it when you show up half an hour before the deadline and I am busy," she said.

Riku started a discussion with his two teammates, but Tobirama did not plan to be part of it. He left them to return to his office.

Several piles of documents were still waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!  
> I might put an author's note at the end of some chapters with a bit of additional information in case anyone's interested. 
> 
> I want to use the first few chapters to introduce the characters and world a bit, so if ya here for the romance, I'm afraid you gotta be a bit patient. It's not a slow-burn though, so no worries. I want to post the next few chapters I've already written fairly soon, so you guys get an actual idea what the story is like, but this is most likely going to be a rather big WIP and I'm a slow writer, just so you know. :)
> 
> Also, let's talk a bit about the changes this AU makes. The one most relevant to this story is probably the changes to Jinchuuriki. They aren't really the focus here in this story, but they will appear every now and then, simply because they are an important part of the world and its power-balancing. Never quite understood what the Bijuu did in canon before Hashirama decided to casually collect them all and hand them out as gifts, so here they've been used as weapons by the strongest ninja clans for a loong time, and those strong ninja clans have then founded the villages. That's why Hashirama has the ninetails and Madara the one- and twotails, and that's also the reason these two were on a whole other level than the rest of their clans. 
> 
> See ya next time, hopefully, with a chapter introducing the Hyuuga clan!


	3. The Hyuuga's Princess

Akari was carefully running her fingers over the surface of the water. The river water felt smooth and fresh on her fingertips. Part of her wanted to dive inside, submerge.

She turned away from the water instead. Inori was half-heartedly throwing kunai at a target. All of them still hit the bull's eye despite lack of effort.

"Was your uncle upset?" Akari asked. Inori had just told them about the news concerning Takuma.

Riku was doing push-ups next to them. He'd already reached a count that left him rather breathless, but that didn't deter him from joining the conversation while continuing his training. "Who cares," he gasped. "Inori should be glad she's out of that arranged marriage talk."

"You are naïve if you think that true. It's only a matter of time until Hashirama and Madara think of a new suitor," Akari calmly said.

Inori smiled, knowing her friend's words were most likely true. "Uncle was indeed angry. He never liked the idea of me marrying Takuma to begin with, but he also couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Takuma never jumped at the opportunity of marrying me."

"Takuma is an idiot," Riku said.

The two women ignored his comment. "Do you think they will discuss marriage with another Senju?"

Inori shrugged. "Not for now, I think. My uncle was quite clear he would only accept someone from the main family for me. I'm pretty sure it will take Hashirama-sensei a while to convince him of anyone else." She threw another kunai. Her face lit up all of a sudden as she remembered something else. "Oh, did you guys know, the three of us got chosen to deliver a letter to the daimyo. That means we will get to visit the capital!"

Riku stopped his push-ups. "Really? All three of us to deliver one letter? How did you manage that?"

Inori grinned. "Let's just say Hashirama-sensei felt very guilty when he delivered the news about Takuma to me."

Akari was the only one who did not show even a hint of excitement. "I don't think I can. We have a clan meeting tomorrow. You know I can't miss those."

"Oh, come on, Akari!" Inori immediately moaned at her. "You take part in those all the time. Missing one won't hurt. Who knows when we will get to visit the capital again. Just think of all the fun stuff we could do there."

"I heard there are public dances and food stalls on the streets every day. It's like a yearlong festival. Is that true?"

Inori nodded at Riku, a big smile on her face. Akari still couldn't get herself to join.

"I'll ask, but…" It wasn't just any meeting. Tomorrow, one of her little cousins was to receive the Sun Seal. It was a holy ritual for the Hyuuga clan.

Riku snorted. "Your father should stop being so stuck up. If Hashirama-sensei, our Hokage, wants you to go to the capital, he should not presume to think he could forbid you."

"Riku!" Inori now snapped at him.

"What? It's true! Your uncle doesn't behave that way. Just like stupid Tobirama who thinks I need to write a report again because of some spelling mistakes. I can't stand these clan's people who act like they can lord it over everyone else."

"You mean, because of a spelling mistake in every line of that report? Don't blame others for holding higher standards than you do," Akari said coldly.

"Well, excuse me, princess. I'm sorry I couldn't enjoy an education that can hold up to your standards."

"Now, now, guys." Inori waved her hands at them to try and calm the situation down. "Why don't we end our very productive training here and go home early? Then Akari can start convincing her father. She might need all the time she can get." Inori threw a soft smile in Akari's direction. She was her best friend. She had been ever since they day they met.

But Inori was also the link that held team Hashirama together. She was the heiress of the Uchiha clan, the niece to Konoha's co-founder. Inori had learned to talk about politics, to lead a clan, to support Konoha on a level that was much higher than simply doing missions in the Hokage's name. It was nothing Riku, who'd grown up a mere farm boy, had ever given a single thought before he moved to Konoha. But at the same time, Inori had never lost the rebellious side of a little child testing out waters. She was a daring and bold person who'd simply learned to behave herself enough in public to not get into trouble and keep up her good image.

She stood somewhere in between the two extremes that were Akari and Riku.

* * *

The Hyuuga main villa was quiet when Akari entered. It always was. There were too many rooms for too little people. And those that did live or spent their time there usually did so silently.

She neatly put her shoes away before stepping on the clean wooden hallway. One of her cousins, Emiko, noticed her return and quickly came to greet her with a polite "Welcome, Lady Akari".

Her cousin was standing straight while looking down the hallway. When she saw no one, her posture relaxed. A pout formed on her lips as she leaned into Akari and said, "You are home late today. Your father started bothering me again that I wouldn't take good enough care of you."

Emiko was Akari's personal guard, Akari's only guard. Somehow the Hyuuga heiress had convinced her father that one guard was enough, and that this guard did not have to accompany her wherever she went. It had been a hard battle, and it was a battle that was still continuing.

But most importantly, Emiko was a friend to Akari rather than a guard, which was also why she was her favourite cousin. They were of the same age, so Emiko had grown up in Konoha for most of her life as well, with the values the Hokage embodied in her rather than those of her clan. They saw each other not as main family member and branch family member. They simply saw each other as family.

"I'm sorry about that." Akari smiled at her. She'd meant to return home early after her teammates had left but ended up wandering along the streets of Konoha. "Where is my father? I'd like to speak to him."

Emiko led her to the dining room. The table was still empty, no dinner had been served yet. Her father was sitting at the window, reading a book.

Akari slightly bowed and sat down on a cushion next to him. "Father, the Hokage has assigned me to a mission for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? We have our clan meeting. What kind of mission is this?"

Akari wondered how she could hide the obvious unimportance of the mission to her father. He would never let her miss anything clan-related in order to deliver a letter.

"It's a mission in the capital, related to the daimyo."

"The daimyo?" There was a spark of concern in his eyes. "This mission was announced very abruptly. The Hokage should give us notice in advance. You cannot miss a clan meeting. We are performing the ritual after all."

"But father, I'm a shinobi of Konoha. I am supposed to go on these missions, even if they come with short notice."

"And you are the clan's heiress. We have an obligation towards our clan that we cannot just disregard. The Hokage can send another shinobi, but I only have one daughter."

"You could take Haruto," she tried, but it didn't surprise her when her father rejected the thought.

"Your brother belongs to the side branch. There is no reason for him to join me. I will not argue about this further. You are my daughter first of all."

Akari respectfully bowed to her father again, ready to leave. She quickly accepted that her little mission failed. She hadn't expected anything else.

Her father stopped her, telling her dinner would be served any moment. She put on a polite smile and sat down with him. The table was still empty, except for an expensive looking statue standing in the middle. Her brother Haruto soon joined them.

Emiko served the dishes today and took her spot standing behind Akari once she was done doing so. That's where she remained for the rest of the meal, waiting to be of use.

"Have you received word of the news yet? Takuma Senju has apparently fathered a bastard. Is it true?" He looked at his daughter for confirmation, expecting her to know more.

"I believe so," Akari said. She was slightly irritated how fast the news had spread, but she didn't show it.

Her father snorted while filling his plate with more food. "His father should disown him. How can the son of the Hokage have the audacity to throw his father's name in the dirt like that."

"I'm sure the Uchiha are going to be greatly displeased," Haruto said. He was Akari's little brother and always wore a headband at any time that covered his forehead.

"I wouldn't be so sure," their father casually said while continuing to eat. "I doubt many supported the idea of a marriage between Senju and Uchiha. A marriage involving Inori Uchiha of all people." His eyes fell onto his daughter. "It'd be waste of good, pure eyes."

Akari returned his glance, adding a small smile. She was aware her father would have never agreed to a marriage between her and someone who was not a Hyuuga. It would taint the pure eyes of the main family, endanger their whole bloodline.

She wondered when her father would choose a husband for her. It couldn't be long anymore.

* * *

Her father was walking next to her towards the Hyuuga temple. There, the initiation ritual would take place. It was the final step for a branch member in order to be fully accepted into the clan. They would receive the Sun Seal, the symbol that was supposed to show their belonging to the Hyuuga family. But there was a reason that outsiders, as well as branch members, referred to it as the Caged-Bird Seal instead.

Her father stopped before the temple. "Akari, I want you to do the sealing today, on your own."

Her lips parted slightly. There were many doubts in her mind, and even without those doubts, she didn't want to be the person to put a seal on a child's forehead. It wasn't without risk.

Yet she nodded. If her father wanted her to do the sealing, she would do the sealing. He had prepared her for this, for her entire life.

They entered the temple. Her father stayed by her side, observed as she greeted their clan. None of her movements escaped his eyes, no matter how small.

Most of the Hyuuga clan seemed pleased to find Akari standing in front of them, leading the ritual. Most except for the family of the little boy. A nervous frown was stuck on their faces. Akari couldn't blame them. Some children did not survive the sealing. It was natural for them to wish somebody with experience would perform the sealing.

The little boy was kneeling in front of Akari, eyes focused on the floor in front of him.

"Will you swear fealty to your family, and swear to protect the main branch and our heritage with your own blood?" The words felt awkward as they left Akari's mouth.

"I swear," the little boy answered.

She took the ceremonial dagger. The boy offered her his hand as he'd been taught, and Akari left a deep cut on his palm. Blood started dripping down almost immediately.

Her little cousin winced at the pain, but seemed less nervous than Akari herself. Yet the difference between the two was that she knew what lied ahead, and he did not. She had seen it before, he had not.

His blood dropped into the ceremonial bowl and mixed with the prepared ink. Special ink, mixed with chakra. Akari dipped the brush into the black liquid and started to draw the Sun Seal, the Caged-Bird Seal.

A small grin formed on the boy's lips as the brush strokes tickled on his forehead.

Next she copied the seal on a scroll and put down the corresponding sealing formula. Once she was done, this scroll would hold immense power over the boy's life. The seals would be connected, allowing the main family to activate it remotely using the scroll. Wherever, whenever.

The last step was the crucial one. She had to activate the seals, infuse the right amount of chakra. Making a mistake here could kill the child.

Akari performed the hand signs, then put her one hand on the boy's forehead, the other on the scroll.

She hesitated. Part of her wished to activate her Byakugan. Seeing the flow of chakra might make her more comfortable, make it easier.

Yet that was nothing she was supposed to do. So she didn't.

A short push of chakra was enough, and the seal was activated.

In her cousin's eyes she could now see that he was fighting the pain. Even at his age, he'd learned that pain was nothing to give into, yet it only took a few seconds and the child started crying.

His hands pressed against his temples as sobs filled the room, followed by loud cries.

Akari took a few steps backwards.

Her father had to clear his voice behind her for her to remember she wasn't done yet. Everyone was still waiting, staring at her as the boy kneeled in front of her crying.

"I welcome you to our family," she spoke, the words feeling grotesque. Surely the boy didn't even hear her anymore at this point.

She watched as all colour left his face. His parents hurried over to him now that the ritual was over. They helped him up, though he could barely stand without their support. His face was as white as it could get.

The child leaned over, and threw up his last meal.

Akari felt sick herself as she watched him suffer. She did this. Her clan did this.

"I will bring you some fresh water," she told the parents and hurried off, out of the temple hall.

Emiko was the first to catch up to her. "Akari!" she called after her as she followed her cousin into the bathrooms. "Are you alright?"

Akari nodded. "I just… could you go and bring a bottle with water? I'll get some of these towels."

Her cousin didn't want to leave yet, but then spotted Akari's father approach. So she bowed, saying, "I will, Lady Akari," and left to get a bottle of water.

Akari's father waited in front of the bathrooms for his daughter to come out.

"It is a common complication," he said. His voice was calm. "Applying the seal always poses the most stress on the body, but the boy will be fine. You did very well today, Akari."

She remained quiet.

"Akari, daughter, you understand why this ritual is necessary, don't you?"

"I do, father." It was not lie. She did understand. Yet she also couldn't help but feel it was unjust. Hashirama had spent years planting the belief in his student that every person in Konoha was family, every person was to be treated equally.

Her father could sense her doubts. "The Sun Seal has helped us protect our bloodline for as long as our clan remembers. That we now live in a village with other clans does not change the fact that there are enough other clans out there waiting to steal it. It might only be a matter of time until Kirigakure decide to take the Byakugan back by force."

"Then why aren't we wearing the seal as well? The main family would not be targeted as much would we wear the seal as well."

"Because we are the main family, Akari. We protect the bloodline for our clan, and our clan protects us. That is how it ought to be."

His eyes fell on the wet towel in her hands. For a moment she thought he'd scold her for trying to help. But he didn't.

"It is good that you are such a thoughtful child," he said instead. "It will make you a better leader. I only ever hear our brothers and sisters speak fondly of you. It makes me proud."

Akari smiled a little. She was glad this day was almost over.

* * *

Akari wandered through the streets of Konoha. The sun had almost vanished behind the Hokage rocks and darkness was spreading. But Konoha's streets felt safe. Konoha always felt safe to her.

She looked around, at the immense walls protecting the village from whatever lurked outside. Akari felt safe, but she also felt restricted. She could still remember the wide ocean that lay before her old home, the village she'd spent the first five years of her life in. There were no walls, only the vast sea.

She continued walking. Every now and then, people would bow and greet her. It was mostly other shinobi. With some she chatted for a moment before continuing on her way towards the Hokage rock. Her teacher's head had been carved into the stone. She liked the idea, yet she'd often wondered whether Madara's head did not belong up there as well. After all, they had both founded the village together.

It was dark by the time Akari reached Konoha's wall. It was a lonesome part of the village, with almost no houses nearby. She looked around to check if anyone was close, then activated her Byakugan to check again.

Using the Byakugan inside of Konoha without fair reason was strictly forbidden. Yet she felt it didn't matter as long as she did not spy on people. And as long as no one would see her break the rules.

No one was around, so Akari walked up the wall and jumped down on the other side. It was as simple as that.

She checked the dense forest before her. It was hard to actually find anyone between all the trees, so she deactivated her Byagukan again and slowly moved away from the village, deeper into the forest.

She eventually reached the river that ran all the way through Konoha and followed it upstream until a small lake lay before her. The moon's light was reflected on its surface.

The woods around her were quiet, except for the chirping of crickets. She looked for a nice spot near the water and sat down, making sure there was nothing on the ground that would stain her dress. She held her bare feet into the water. It felt cold and fresh against her skin.

It was Akari's favourite spot. A lake hidden deep inside the forest, so far away from Konoha that barely anyone ever came close. Her father would most likely suffer a heart attack if he learned his daughter liked to sneak off by herself, away from Konoha's safe walls. She didn't plan to ever let him find out though. This was her haven.

Akari loved Konoha. Yet she despised the walls around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this :) I appreciate it!
> 
> Also hope you guys are going to like Akari (and the other characters in this fic too!). If you got any questions and stuff about the story or the characters, feel free to ask and comment!


	4. The Chuunin Exams

Tobirama was sitting in front of huge paper piles again. Most of them were applications forms from vendors who wanted to set up a gift or food stall on Konoha's Chuunin festival. The planning of the event proved more stressful than Tobirama had anticipated. There was barely any time left for organization. Hashirama's idea seemed a great success, and everyone was looking forward to it, eager to participate. Yet Hashirama's idea, just like Hashirama, had appeared late. So late Tobirama wished they had waited for the next year's exams to implement them.

But of course, his brother had been too excited to wait.

It was the day of the practical part of the exams. That meant one more week until Konoha's special tourney took place, filled with show matches. Even the daimyo himself had answered his invitation in the affirmative. It only increased the pressure to organize a festival and tourney of great success.

Thus Tobirama had stayed late in his office last night and had arrive early again. His body and mind felt surprisingly refreshed for the two hours of sleep he had allowed himself to get. He had never needed much to function. Sleeping meant not getting work done.

He signed and put stamps on the last few documents before carefully putting everything aside again to leave his office. He locked the door behind him. His brother often left the Hokage office unlocked – a carelessness Tobirama could not appreciate.

He stopped by Hashirama's flat to make sure his brother would be on time. Mito opened. She was wearing a yukata, and her hair was neatly tied up to a bun.

"I already woke him, but he is still taking his time having breakfast and drinking his tea." She stepped aside to invite him in.

Tobirama hesitated for a moment. "Will I make it to the training ground in time if I enter my brother's home now?"

Hashirama was sitting at the breakfast table, just like Mito had said. He was reading a magazine and sipped at his tea.

"Ah, little brother! Come, sit down. I knew you'd visit so I made some coffee for you."

Tobirama was reluctant to stay, but his brother was already pouring a cup of coffee for him. "You are late," he scolded as he sat down next to Hashirama. "I told you to be ready at 7. It's way past that already and you aren't even dressed yet."

Mito sat down with them as well, smiling at the two brothers. It often amused her how different the two were. Both in looks and character.

"Is Takuma not here?" Tobirama asked. He also hadn't seen Madara at the Hokage bulding in a while. Usually he was the one who made sure Hashirama would get to work before noon.

Hashirama's smile grew smaller. Mito lightly shook her head before answering, "He's at our house in the Senju compound. With his… fiancé." The last word she had trouble speaking.

"So you really are making him marry her." He could feel that the topic destroyed the friendly atmosphere at the table, yet he barely cared. Maybe this conversation would get his brother to actually get dressed faster so they could change topic to the Chuunin exams again.

"They are having a baby. Of course they are getting married," Hashirama shortly replied.

"The child wouldn't be the first bastard. There are enough Senju who want to see him marry another Senju to preserve the bloodline, and there are enough Uchiha hoping for him to marry an Uchiha to validate our relations. Literally any girl from a clan would be a better fit than a civilian girl."

"I know that, Tobi. And believe me, I wish I could change this situation. But I can't force Takuma to marry a Senju or Uchiha. And besides." He put away the magazine, a big frown on his forehead. "I feel like I caused this. I gave my son the feeling that Konoha mattered more to me than he does. I don't want to continue arguing with him. If he wants to do this to spite me, then so shall it be."

Tobirama wondered how his brother managed to run a whole city when he couldn't even keep his own son under control. But he chose to swallow the words and took a sip of coffee instead.

* * *

The practical part of the Chuunin exams was held on the Forty-Fourth Training Ground, the harshest of them all. Hashirama liked to throw anything dangerous he found around Konoha in there, be it snakes, tigers, or carnivorous plants.

When Tobirama and his brother, the Hokage, arrived, some of the helpers were already present, setting up tables and chairs and checking the application forms again. Their six former students who acted as the examiners in the exam were not present yet, except for Akari, who was talking to a group of Chuunin.

Once she spotted them, she politely said her goodbyes and came over.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Tobirama," she greeted them, and added a slight bow.

"You are here early," Hashirama said with a smile. His greeting was a lot more casual than hers had been, despite being the Hokage.

"I woke up early, so I wanted to see whether I could be of help here." No one around her had dared bother her with trivial tasks like arranging tables or carrying supplies, despite Akari offering her help. So she'd just stood around and engaged in conversation with whoever showed interest. It was something she'd been raised to do.

Tobirama's eyes scanned his surroundings, carefully accessing the situation. So far, everything went according to plan. But there was one issue that bothered him still. "I hope Riku is on time today."

Akari again smiled politely. "Inori promised to pick him up, so I am sure he will."

Hashirama was happily humming a song, bobbing up and down in time with the music. "Akari, you have met the daimyo before, haven't you?"

"I wouldn't call it a meeting," she said. Akari had a calm and collected way of speaking. Most of her words were carefully chosen at any time. "I shortly greeted him the last time he visited Konoha. But then you already dragged him into the next izakaya to drink sake."

Hashirama laughed out loud at the thought of that day. "Right, it's been quite a few years. Back then you were too young to join us. Your father's glances almost killed me on the spot when I suggested you tag along." He wrapped an arm around his former student and pulled her closer, trapping her in a tight hug. "This year you are going to drink with me and the daimyo. He's a nice guy, I'm sure we are all going to enjoy ourselves a lot. Have you actually ever been drunk, Akari-chan? I don't think I ever saw you drinking. It's about time I do."

Akari's hands instinctively covered her head to make sure her perfectly pinned-up hair would not get ruffled up. She barely struggled, knowing it would only make him hold onto her tighter.

Tobirama paid no attention to them. His eyes were still on the preparations going on around them as his mind was going over today's program once again. More and more people arrived, proctors, students with their families. This day barely worried him. He'd planned it all out perfectly. What did worry him was the upcoming tournament. It was the first time they decided to hold one. It ought to showcase the talent of Konoha's shinobi to their daimyo. Entertainment grounded in the harsh truth of life. Tobirama wasn't very fond of the idea, yet he understood its worth. The daimyo was the only person in the whole country holding more power than Hashirama.

Tobirama saw the Hyuuga head approach. He was a fairly old man, almost too old to be Akari's father. He could have been the father of Tobirama, maybe even Hashirama. And yet they both stood above him in rank, the Hokage and his advisor. It had taken Hashirama and Tobirama a good while to get used to commanding clan heads much older than them back when they founded Konoha and more and more families joined their cause. And it had taken a good amount of time for those older clan heads to respect them.

Hashirama stopped teasing Akari once his eyes fell on her father. The men respectfully greeted each other.

"I did not know that this part of the Chuunin exams took one whole day, Akari. Do you really intend to spend the night in this forest?" he asked his daughter with dismay.

Akari apologized. "I thought you knew, father. But it's not much different than going on missions, is it? We can't always stay at hotels."

Her father clearly did not look convinced, but he refrained from saying anything else.

"Don't worry. If the Genin prove talented and track her down fast, she might be back here again in no more than an hour." Hashirama laughed, trying to raise spirits. It hardly worked.

A group of Uchiha was standing nearby. A Genin was standing with them, looking around nervously. But the older men and women barely paid attention to the child. Instead they glanced at the Hokage and the people surrounding them, whispering to each other.

Tobirama read their lips, thought he could already tell what it was all about. They were complaining that the Hokage was standing with the Hyuuga.

Anything Hashirama did since the news about Takuma and the civilian girl had spread was seen as a fault in the Uchiha's eyes.

They kept throwing shady glances at the Hokage until Inori approached, pulling a sleepy Riku along. She too seemed to immediately realise what her clan's people were chatting about. A frown she directed at them was enough for them to straighten and apologize.

Inori and Riku came over. She greeted them with a bright smile on her face; Riku greeted them with a yawn.

Tobirama was pleased. The girl brought both discipline and manners among her clansmen as well as Riku. The Chuunin exams could start.

* * *

Akari's Genin team did prove talented. They managed to track her down before nightfall was even close. She hadn't exactly avoided leaving marks, but it was still impressive that they caught on that quickly. Akari was resting by a river, enjoying the rushing of water, when her ears picked up on the sounds of crackling twigs. She didn't let it show that she knew of their presence, wondering how they would choose to approach her. The scroll they wanted was resting safely in her bag.

They decided on a surprise attack from three different angles, with one of them trying to catch her in an earth style jutsu.

It was a good approach. One that impressed Akari enough to decide they should be rewarded with the scroll. Yet she didn't give it to them yet. Instead, she dodged their attacks and vanished in the night.

Spending the night in the Forest of Death wasn't something she particularly looked forward to. But it was better than spending it at home. The Genin would have to wait. They could have it the next day.

She walked through the night. A tiger roared in the distance.

A sharp "psst" reached her ears. Akari looked up, irritated how she hadn't detected this person's presence yet.

Her surprise vanished when she saw it was Inori.

She jumped up to her friend and sat down next to her in the tree's branch.

"How are your Genin doing?" Inori asked with genuine interest in her voice.

"They are doing alright," Akari answered. "Good at tracking at least. I have not engaged in a true fight with them yet. They will have to wait until tomorrow for that." She made sure her voice was no more than a whisper. In the silence of the night, voices could reach far.

Inori giggled. "That sounds very capable. Mine just run around aimlessly. At some point I even left marks on purpose like Tobirama said. They simply walked past. Maybe tomorrow I should stand right in front of them and yell _here_."

Akari smiled back at her.

"You think Riku is doing alright? I could totally picture him beating up his team really good." She giggled again at the thought. Then the air around her slightly changed as she seemed to get lost in thought. "Sakumo is such a little cutie. I can't believe Riku is his father. Riku, married and a father, way before either of us. Can you believe it? Still feels so unreal to me."

Akari quietly stared into the night. Inori's words held much more meaning to her than they would have to other people. Because Akari knew. "You should stop thinking about him," she said. "As you said, he is married and has a child."

"I know, I know. It's just that… this engagement with Takuma was supposed to distract me. But now that it's off the table, I can't help but wonder if… I just wonder how things would have turned out had I told him about my feelings."

Akari held back a sigh. "You are still the heiress of the Uchiha clan. He is a farmer's child. Stop bothering your head about this. It would not have worked out, even if the idea of you and Takuma getting married had never existed in Hashirama-sensei's head."

"You are probably right." Inori sighed, her glance dropped down onto the dark forest floor. She took a deep breath, trying to get her positivity back. "It's too late now anyway," she told herself while putting a smile back on. It was time for Inori to change the topic. "Actually, I always thought you would be the first to get married. Your father strikes me as someone who'd find a suitable match for his daughter as quickly as possible. Has he really never said anything?"

Akari shrugged. "He is strict and traditional, but deep down, I'm quite sure he still sees me as a little child. If I wouldn't always protest as much, he would still send a guardian with me on missions." Akari stopped herself from saying any more. She didn't like gossiping, and she definitely didn't like badmouthing her father behind his back. Yet there was something inside of her that yearned to tell her best friend of the freedom she felt the farther she walked away from the Hyuuga compound.

But Akari knew she was bound to the Hyuuga and their traditions by blood.

"I'm sure he's just worried about you."

Akari didn't want the conversation to revolve around her, so she asked, "I heard there's quite a turmoil in your clan because of Takuma."

Inori dangled her feet. "Yeah. My uncle might leave Konoha."

"Leave Konoha? You mean he's going on a mission?"

Her friend shook her head. "Though maybe… you could call it that. Many in my clan are frustrated with the current situation and are searching for someone to blame. Takuma is hard to blame since there has never been an official engagement. So they blame my uncle instead."

"If he wants to leave, does that mean…"

"I'd be the new clan head, yes."

It was quiet for a moment as Akari tried to form an opinion for herself. "I didn't expect that," she eventually said. It was the most honest answer she could give her friend. "Not this fast. How do you feel about it?"

"Well, we knew it would happen eventually, right? You and I were raised for this. It's always just been a matter of time until we both become clan heads." Inori grinned at her before leaning into her direction to rest her head on Akari's shoulder. "You should hurry up too," she said teasingly. "I need someone to keep me company in all those boring meetings."

The two girls quietly continued to sit next to each other, enjoying the fresh night air.

* * *

The next day, Akari let her Genin team find her one last time and engaged them in a fight. It did not take long until she'd seen enough of their skills to give them the scroll they were after.

But her team finishing the exam meant that she was supposed to return to the entrance with them. There, her father was already waiting, together with several other families and exam proctors. His eyes inspected her from head to feet. Akari didn't go to him first, she went to the Hokage, like she ought to.

Tobirama was standing next to his brother, and quietly handed her an evaluation sheet for the Genin. Akari thanked him with a short nod and went to the designated table to fill out her assessment of the next generation of Chuunin.

Hashirama approached her as soon as she was done. She greeted him by addressing him as 'Lord Hokage', something she always did with many people around. Hashirama had learn to get used to it. He'd had to.

"I actually wanted to ask you something yesterday. About the daimyo." A short glance at her told him that he had her undivided attention. "It appears the daimyo is travelling here together with his son. You know how awful my brother is with words and smiles, and I really need someone by my side to entertain those two."

"What about Mito?"

"Mito will be there, of course, by my side. But you know how children often are. They don't like spending time with their fathers all day long. It would feel very unnatural for Mito to accompany the prince while I stay with the daimyo. You are his age, Akari. I would like you to be his guide for the weekend. Show him around Konoha, make sure he is both safe and happy."

A tight little frown pressed itself onto Akari's lips. But the Hokage, her sensei, had asked her, so she put on a smile and agreed. Spending one weekend with a prince couldn't be that hard.


	5. Pride

The daimyo was accompanied by an immense entourage of samurai and servants. He was being carried in a litter, together with his son. Everyone bowed low, even Hashirama, as the two got off and approached Konoha's gate. To the Hokage's right stood his wife, Mito, wearing a beautifully ornated red kimono. Next to her was their son, Takuma. Hashirama had not been sure whether he wanted his son with him when greeting the daimyo. Not after the events of the weeks prior. But in the end, Takuma was still his son. And Hashirama could not afford to strain their relationship further.

To Hashirama's left were Inori and Akari. They too looked more like royal ladies than kunoichi. The difference was most striking in Inori. Akari always paid much care to her appearance and clothing, but Inori usually walked around Konoha in a top and shorts, with an additional jacket wrapped around her waists. The Uchiha were a noble clan, yet they had long stopped caring about formalities. Warfare had been their one and only priority until Konoha's foundation.

Tobirama and Madara stood behind them. If the two had anything in common, it was that they disliked social gatherings. So they had both chosen to stay out of the spotlight.

The Hokage introduced everyone, a big smile on his face which the daimyo promptly returned.

"I'm looking forward to playing cards with you again, Lord Hokage." The daimyo put a hand on Hashirama's shoulder. The two men had taken a liking to each other the day they first met. Both of them enjoying a good gamble was only one of the reasons. But one that had been big enough for the rumor to emerge that Konoha's funding had been decided in a game of dice.

His son was more reserved, and carefully eyed the shinobi welcoming them. Together they went on a small sightseeing tour of Konoha.

"My father calls this village our military capital. It doesn't quite look like it," the prince said as they walked over the festival Tobirama had organised. Inori and Akari both walked next to him, ready to attend to him. The samurai followed behind, watchful of their new surroundings.

"We have a lot of villagers living here. It's good for the economy," Akari said.

"But your father is right. My uncle and the Hokage have united some of the most prestigious clans. I don't think there is any other village in the Fire country with a manpower as strong as Konoha," Inori added. "Or in any other country."

The prince only hummed, looking around somewhat unimpressed.

They left the festival to visit the Academy. Students were waiting on the training ground to show the daimyo and his companions their shuriken throwing skills. The daimyo seemed pleased and spoke words of encouragement to the little children.

"You train them quite young." The prince looked at all the boys and girls, though his eyes rested on the girls slightly longer. "The boys are trained together with the girls?"

"They are," Inori said. "There is no reason why they wouldn't be."

Again, the prince hummed. Inori and Akari shared a short glance at each other.

"My father told me you two are daughters of noble shinobi clans. Does that mean you are shinobi as well?"

"We are," Inori said nicely but firmly. "Not just daughters, but heiresses. One day, we will be clan heads."

The prince did not seem too convinced. Both girls could tell.

"A woman is no warrior. It seems like a sign of weakness to me that a woman shall be head of clan."

Inori took a step towards the young man. Her lips formed into a displeased frown. Akari brushed over her friend's hand. It was a gesture so small the prince didn't even notice, yet it was enough to remind Inori not to lose her temper. So the two girls simply brushed his comment off with a smile and continued their tour around Konoha.

* * *

The evening they spend at an izakaya. Madara had long excused himself and no one really missed him. The fact he was Konoha's co-founder was equally easy to forget, just like the fact Konoha had a co-founder at all. Madara liked to disappear into the shadows.

"This truly is a beautiful village you have built here, Lord Hashirama," the daimyo would repeat every time he was served a new cup of sake. "I'm glad I gave you my blessing for this. It was about time the shinobi clans united, just like the samurai clans already did hundreds of years ago. It was my ancestors who bravely fought for peace. Their actions gave birth to what we now call the Land of Fire." The daimyo would go on and on about history and the noble deeds of his ancestors. He told stories of war and warriors in shining golden armour as if he had been there himself.

Akari couldn't help but notice the daimyo's round belly. While the royal family once consisted of the finest samurai in the whole country, there was not much left of that grace and strength. The royal family had become lazy. They had been at the top of the Land of Fire for such a long time that no one would ever question their now innate right to rule anymore. And likewise, the prince did not look like a man who had ever held a sword in his hand.

Still, the daimyo was the most powerful person in the room, the centre of attention.

Akari quietly observed as a kunoichi from the Yamanaka clan asked to sit next to the daimyo. The man didn't seem to mind as she rested her hand on his thigh and leaned in closer to talk to him. On the contrary. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer.

Riku entered. Hashirama was glad to see him, and introduced him to the daimyo as his third student before going on to brag how Riku started out a mere farmer, yet Hashirama's training and teachings had made him into a fine shinobi, one of the best in Konoha. And just like that, a new shinobi clan had been founded, the Hatake clan.

Akari eyed her teammate's clothing. Riku wore his usual outfit; the green Konoha vest paired with black pullover and trousers. He'd been one of the first shinobi to embrace Konoha's ninja uniform. Akari liked to tease him that he was simply too lazy to care for his appearance, and she certainly wasn't wrong. Though at least he'd taken his old fingerless gloves off before shaking the daimyo's hand.

But Riku could hardly be blamed for not attiring himself properly. Neither Hashirama nor Tobirama looked any different. None of the men did.

Inori moved closer to Akari so Riku could sit next to her. With a grin on his face, he looked at both of them before saying to Inori, "What is that dress? You look like a doll instead of a shinobi. It doesn't suit you."

"Oh, thank you. So nice to see you too," Inori replied.

Akari ignored the lively chatter and teasing that followed between her two teammates, and looked over at a table in one of the corners of the izakaya. A bunch of Hyuuga were seated around it, chatting and drinking. They didn't seem to care much for the daimyo and his table, yet Akari couldn't help but feel watched. Emiko was with them too, and Akari was certain her father had sent them.

Hashirama ordered another round of sake for everyone. Akari's cup was still completely full, so she slid it over to Inori, who then gave it to Riku. He gladly emptied it while proudly telling anyone who was listening how Sakumo had peed on him earlier. According to Riku, that behaviour was a sign of a strong personality in a child. He spoke so freely and full of excitement, Inori almost forgot there were royal guests sitting at their table.

* * *

The next day, the Hokage was sitting on top of a special platform, cracking jokes with the daimyo. On his other side was Mito, smilingly nicely at them while waiting for the tournament to start. Konoha had built a whole stadium in just two weeks solely for this occasion. Most of their earth style users worked on it day and night together with civilian architects and builders.

Hashirama thought the arena looked rather dull, so he spontaneously raised a few trees in it to the delight of everyone watching. Letting flowers and trees grow, it was something only the Hokage could do. Some called him a God because he could create life itself. But no one called him that now in front of the daimyo.

Next to the daimyo sat his son. Akari stood behind him, together with the samurai guards. The Hokage had assigned her for the prince's safety for the day. It was simply another excuse for her to stay close to him, make sure he was entertained. But at least it gave her also an excuse to wear more practical dresses.

Every once in a while, she would lean closer to the prince and engage in a conversation to explain to him the rules of the tournament or the jutsu used by the participants. Inori was one of the participants as well. Their teacher had been very vocal about wanting her to win the whole thing. It was a token gesture, a small nod towards the Uchiha clan.

In the morning, her brother Haruto had already said it was obvious Inori would win the tournament. The Uchiha always won when the Hokage had a say. And the Hokage always had the say.

It was no secret that the Konoha shinobi didn't truly fight each other. There were no injuries, no secret jutsu used. They showed as much as was needed to impress the daimyo. It clearly worked, and all the drinks constantly served surely helped too.

The prince, however, was a different story. "I want to see a real fight," he eventually said in Akari's direction.

She explained to him that it was to everyone's disadvantage should one of their shinobi get hurt.

"Thus far, I haven't seen anything our samurai would not be able to achieve," he replied as they both watched Inori showcase some fire jutsu. "I want to see a shinobi fight a samurai. I want to see a true fight. Can that be arranged? My guards here are always ready to fight for me. Are you shinobi too?"

"It would be to the detriment of both of us should one party get hurt, no? There is no reason for us to fight." Akari smiled at him as she repeated her argument. But it hit on stone.

"You shinobi swore your life to my father, no? So put your life on the line to show me your worth. Konoha receives tremendous financial support from us." He glanced at his father, who was downing another cup of sake with the Hokage. Both men talked loudly, obviously enjoying themselves while commenting on the fight between the two shinobi. "My father might think of you as his elite army, but I have seen nothing so far that would make me believe you are equipollent to our best samurai."

Akari now too glanced at the Hokage. She wasn't sure whether he was in any condition to make bigger decisions. Him and the daimyo had spent half the night drinking, and they had continued today right after lunch. So she excused herself and walked over to Tobirama instead to inquire about his request.

Tobirama was standing close to the exit, leaning against the wall. Every now and then, he would vanish to ensure the tournament was continuing as planned before returning to his spot.

"Is there a problem?" he asked as soon as he saw Akari approach.

Akari hesitated for a moment, wondering again whether he was the right person to address. The tournament was officially hosted by Hashirama, yet most shinobi knew that it had been Tobirama who organised it all. "The prince wants to see a shinobi fight against a samurai. Apparently these fights here don't show our worth and are not entertaining enough." She traced his eyes which fell on Hashirama, so she added, "I'm sorry, I was a bit concerned our Hokage would jump right to battle himself, so I thought to ask you instead."

"No, you were right. What did you tell the prince when he made the request? I cannot just add a fight. This tournament is supposed to be show fights only."

"I know, I tried to explain. He keeps bringing it up though. Maybe you could speak to him?" The last question she did not want to ask, but the prince clearly did not respect her as much as the men around them.

All the samurai surrounding the royal guests were male. Female warriors were more than unusual. The fact that clans accepted women as their heads was unique to the shinobi clans. It was the existence of bloodlines that helped establish that custom. A daughter with pure eyes was still more valuable than a boy without special blood. It had not always been that way though. Not even among shinobi clans with bloodlines.

Tobirama shook his head. "You spoke to him. There is no use repeating ourselves. I'll talk to my brother and see what I can do." With those words, Tobirama left her to solve the situation.

And his solution in the end did lead to an additional battle that took place after the final. A battle between a samurai chosen by the prince and Tobirama himself.

Akari carefully observed the men around her. The daimyo and Hashirama were still entertained. They didn't seem to worry too much about this additional match. On the contrary, they were eagerly placing bets on who would take the win. Hashirama yelled words of encouragement down at his brother, which Tobirama answered with an embarrassed frown.

Her eyes switched to the prince next to her. He seemed content. Content and sure of himself and his guard. Finally, there was a soft smile on his lips.

The fight began. Both men used swords. Swordplay was a common practice among samurai, and the sword was their usual weapon of choice. It was their specialty, so it didn't surprise Akari that the samurai seemed to have to upper hand. He fought with determination and eagerness, while Tobirama barely used any of the tools she knew he had at his disposal.

But again, she was not surprised. Tobirama was being respectful for once. He made the fight look closer than it was.

Despite all the efforts, the samurai could not hit Tobirama. Not even when he enchanted his sword with wind. Basically, it was a jutsu he used, but the samurai did not call them as such. _Jutsu_ was too much of a ninja term for them to use.

Eventually, Tobirama used a water jutsu himself. It was the first jutsu he used, and while not directly hitting the samurai, it left the ground flooded and wet.

The samurai stopped moving all of a sudden. He looked left and right, and left again, as if searching for something. Within seconds, Tobirama was now behind him, holding a kunai to the man's throat. The fight was over.

Hashirama laughed, and teased the daimyo about the lost money.

"What did he do?" the prince asked, not amused at all. "Why did my man just stop moving?"

"He was caught in a genjutsu," Akari calmly explained.

"A genjutsu?"

"Yes, it's the pinnacle of chakra control. Only the best shinobi are able to properly use it. Lord Tobirama influenced his opponent's chakra flow to cause visual hallucinations."

"Visual hallucinations? So he manipulated his sight?"

She nodded. "The water he created, it served as a connection for his chakra to reach your guard."

"That's cheating," the prince concluded. "It's not honourable to manipulate your opponent like that. No samurai would fight in such a way."

It pained Akari to see the prince clearly dislike shinobi. He was different from his father, yet he was the crown prince, the heir of the whole country. One day, he would rule over Konoha and its people. "This is not about honour," she tried to explain. "The important part is successfully completing our missions and surviving. We always aim to be of the uttermost use to your family and the Land of Fire."

Akari was glad when Inori came rushing over to them again. She brought excitement and positive energy to the stiff atmosphere between Akari and the prince. But not even Inori's excitement could reach the royal son. He sulked over the loss of his favourite samurai guard and was still sulking once they all left the stadium to go to the main street again. Another night full of drinks and card games awaited them before the royal guests would leave Konoha the next day.

* * *

Akari found herself inside the same izakaya again. Her father, just like most clan heads, eventually entered to greet the daimyo and pay for a round of drinks.

"Your daughter is a true beauty," the daimyo said to her father. "I'm sure you are proud. And such good manners too."

"I am," her father said. "Very proud."

"I would be too. It's good your clan joined my country. That water daimyo does not deserve a clan as noble as the Hyuuga. All he ever does is raise the rates on sea travel. Does he think he owns the ocean? Maybe I shouldn't pay anymore. We are stronger than Kirigakure, aren't we? They really should know better than to charge me these insane amounts."

While war and conflicts meant a big income for a shinobi village, Hashirama knew better than to encourage making the Mizukage an enemy around a table filled with alcohol. So he changed the topic.

"Your Highness, how about a game of cards? The Chuunin exams have cost Konoha quite a sum this year. I wouldn't say no to the opportunity to win a few more funds."

"I've been thinking about building a new atrium. One of your wood style users would help me out immensely."

"Wood style users are pretty rare," Hashirama noted.

"I'm aware. But I am willing to bet an appropriate sum in return."

Hashirama smiled and offered to personally come to the capital to plant trees and flowers in the daimyo's new garden.

The prince sighed before downing his glass of sake. "I am bored," he murmured into the round.

"Would you like to do something else?" Akari politely asked. "The festival is still open tonight and there are some dance shows as well."

"Yes, son. Go and have some fun with the girls. I'll be here for a while."

The prince agreed, and left with both Akari and Inori, as well as his guards.

It was dark outside, but Konoha's streets were completely lit up and filled with white and red lanterns. Music showed anyone unfamiliar with the village the way to the main street and the festival. Akari and Inori naturally wandered towards the centre of the lights and music, until they realised the prince wasn't quite following.

"Let's make a bet as well." He pointed at Akari. "I want to see you fight one of my guards. This village seems convinced women can challenge men. I want to see with my own eyes whether you can win with these dishonourable tricks. My guard is ready to prove himself again after the loss. What is it you want in case you shall win? Choose anything."

Akari and Inori eyed each other. Then Inori said, "I'm not sure this is a good idea. It might damage our relations should someone get injured. We wouldn't want that. Not without consulting our Lord Hokage first."

"You are shinobi, aren't you? You should be prepared to face injury. Especially if it is to fulfil your superior's wishes. My wishes. My guard here is ready to fight for me as well and you should not worry about injuring him."

The samurai standing next to him nodded. "I am, your Highness."

"See, this is the answer I expect from a loyal servant."

Akari could see the anger spark in Inori's eyes, and she had to take her hand to remind the Uchiha heiress that lashing out at the prince was not a wise decision. But staying quiet also didn't improve their situation.

The prince looked at Akari and continued, "Should I win, you will acknowledge that women are not supposed to be warriors."

"I'm not agreeing to this bet," Akari calmly said. She could feel that Inori next to her was fuming inside. "I believe I have proved myself enough in the missions I took for the sake of the Land of Fire."

"You will fight back," the prince said. Then he signaled his guard to attack her. The man was confused, and hesitated to attack the defenseless woman. But his prince urged him to.

The samurai stepped up to Akari, who did not move even a single muscle. He drew his sword and raised it. Another moment of hesitation followed, before he swung it down at Akari.

In the last second, she instinctively blocked the attack with her arm. The sword was sharp, and cut deep.

"That's enough!" Inori stepped forward. She didn't stop yelling. More samurai put their hands on their weapons at the sight of the angry Uchiha. "This is unacceptable. If you really want a fight, I will give it to you. I will beat you up real good, just –"

"Inori!" Again, Akari tried to calm her down. But it was already too late.

The turmoil attracted more shinobi. They all came over to see what was happening. There were Hyuuga members as well, Emiko and one of her friends. They immediately rushed to Akari's side. Just like the samurai now readied themselves to defend their prince, Emiko was ready to fight any samurai who'd step too close to Akari again.

"If this is the best you can do, you really shouldn't be a shinobi," the prince said. "But maybe you'd make a fine wife instead. You should consider coming to the palace with us. It'd fit you better."

Akari's lips slightly parted as she stared back at him, unsure whether her ears had failed her.

"Insolent!" Inori snapped at him in her stead. More insults were already at the tip of her tongue. But before she could throw them at the prince, Tobirama appeared.

"What is going on here?" he demanded. Hiruzen and Kagami were with him. Their eyes instantly fell on Akari's bleeding arm.

Everyone fell quiet. They all blamed the prince, yet no one dared blaming him outright. Even Inori reconsidered and swallowed her anger. Silence ensued.

"Is there a problem here?" Tobirama now addressed the prince directly.

The prince shrugged. "I simply wanted to see if she knows how to fight. The Lord Hokage appointed her as my guard for today, did he not? I had high expectations." He turned around and walked away. "I'll go back to the hotel. You don't have to accompany me."

Everyone stared after the young prince and his samurai. As soon as he was gone, Emiko whispered, "What a spoiled brat." Her friend quickly agreed. Then they turned their attention to their clan heiress again, saying she had to see a medic for her arm.

"It's not that bad," Akari tried to convince them, but she was still pressing her left hand on the wound as tightly as possible and couldn't get the blood to stop dropping.

"He's gone too far. Who does he think he is?" Emiko ranted while taking Akari's arm to look at it. "We are a noble clan. We deserve some respect."

"Quiet," Tobirama said. "We will not speak of the prince in public like this. If there is a problem, I will talk to my brother about it and he will address it."

The Hyuuga wanted to take Akari to the hospital, but Tobirama said he needed an account of what had just taken place right away. Emiko wasn't happy, but let him take her instead.

They walked to the hospital together and got a private room. Inori and Akari both told their versions of what had happened while waiting for a medic-nin.

Tobirama listened to everything Hashirama's students told him without showing much emotion. At the end, he sighed once, then left them to talk to his brother.

Kagami walked around the room and looked at some of the trays standing around. He picked up one of the medical sewing kits.

"I have stitched wounds before. Want me to do it? I'll get you out of here in five minutes."

Inori rolled her eyes but laughed at the comment.

Hiruzen was sitting next to Akari. He'd kept quiet for most of the time, only offered his help once. He now folded his arms and said, "Don't do it, Akari. I've seen his sewing skills."

"Of course I'm not letting him near me with a needle. I'll wait for the professional." She slightly removed the fabric she was pressing on her arm. The bleeding had almost stopped, but she wouldn't get around a few stitches. She put the cloth back on, frowned. "Maybe I should have handled the situation differently."

"Oh, you definitely should have," Inori immediately said. "You should have just beaten that samurai up."

"True," Kagami agreed. "From what I've heard, they deserved it. Hey, do you two want to have some late-night dinner with us? We've been training all evening long. I don't know about Hiruzen, but I am starving."

"You and Inori are awfully carefree. I just wanted to avoid any conflict."

"Cheer up," Inori said sitting down at Akari's other side. "You did avoid it, kinda. If anything, it's their fault not ours."

The medic-nin entered and the conversation stopped there. Inori and Kagami soon went back to discussing possible dinner options. Akari quietly watched her arm get stitched up. She knew this wasn't over yet. At least not for her.

* * *

Akari's father was raging in the Hokage office while the Hokage had his own problems. Hashirama's head was almost killing him. It was early in the morning, and he had still been drinking with the daimyo a few hours prior, but the Hyuuga's head had arrived at his office with the first sunlight, forcing him out of bed.

Tobirama was standing behind his brother, who was the only one in the room who chose to sit down. He carefully observed the situation, ready to step in should the sake left in his brother's blood start speaking up.

"Father, please…" Akari tried to calm him down. She was standing behind him, hiding her bandaged arm behind her back.

A sharp " _Quiet!_ " was all she got from him. He barely looked at his daughter before turning to the Hokage again. "It's an insult to my family and clan!" he repeated for the third time. "He attacked her, injured her. And then he had the audacity to suggest she become his concubine! I did not leave the Land of Water to come here and have the daimyo of this country insult my daughter in such a way!"

"Please, rest assured the daimyo would never ask such a thing. He is very much shocked by his son's behaviour and has promised to lecture him."

"Lecture him? Maybe that son needs more than just a lecture. My son knows better than to threaten national peace with such foolish actions." He studied the Hokage's face, remembering Takuma's own disrespectful behaviour. With a cold voice he added, "Maybe I should have reconsidered the Mizukage's offer to join Kirigakure instead. This country does not seem to know how to properly discipline their children."

"But father!" Akari stepped up to him. She took his hand to try and get his attention.

Again, a sharp "Step back!" was all she got to hear.

"But…"

"I'm not talking to you."

Akari's gaze dropped and she took a few steps back again.

Her father straightened himself. "I expect an official apology from the daimyo and his son before they leave Konoha today." He bowed as soon as Hashirama nodded and left the office.

Akari watched after him, but stayed a moment longer. She too bowed, much lower than her father had. "I apologise for my father's words. He didn't mean it when he said that we should have joined Kirigakure. The Hyuuga clan is very much loyal to Konoha."

"Rise, Akari. There is nothing you have to apologise for. I understand your father is angry, and he is rightfully so. I'm sure the daimyo will apologise and in a few weeks, we can all laugh about this."

Akari was still bowing. "I'm also sorry for causing such a trouble."

The Hokage sighed. "Again, you don't have to apologise for anything. You did nothing wrong. So please, Akari-chan."

She finally straightened herself. Her muscles relaxed at the way he said her name. It brought back the familiarity and closeness between the two. "Thank you, Hashirama-sensei. I think I should go after my father." She smiled, then nodded at the two Senju brothers and left.

* * *

The daimyo did in fact apologise to the Hyuuga head before leaving Konoha again that day, and his son too murmured words of regret. It wasn't enough to completely please the Hyuuga head, but he still accepted the apology.

But the daimyo was not the only one leaving Konoha that day. Tobirama was in the Hokage's office late that night, presenting his brother the balance of accounts after the Chuunin exams, when Madara entered. He didn't knock and seemed slightly surprised when he spotted Tobirama.

"Maybe this is not the best time," Madara said. "But I told you that once the daimyo was gone again…"

Hashirama immediately rose. The bored expression he'd worn on his face while looking at Tobirama's calculations was gone. "Please Madara, rethink this. This is our village. We fought for this, together. We founded Konoha, together."

Tobirama wanted to leave. He saw the looks Madara threw at him, and he knew them well. The man didn't want him there. Tobirama was already at the door when he stopped again. It had never bothered him that Madara despised his presence. He didn't mind avoiding him. But this conversation was nothing personal, it affected all of Konoha. So Tobirama stopped.

"You have two of our three tailed beasts sealed in you," he reminded Madara. "You leaving Konoha will leave the village vulnerable. Whatever is going on inside your clan, this is not a feasible way to fix it."

Madara barely looked at Tobirama, yet he still answered. "It's not like I am leaving forever. I'm just going… on a long mission."

"You are always welcome back here," Hashirama said. "As I said, we founded Konoha together. This is your village too. You are my friend. My brother."

A smile formed on Madara's lips that was so faint that only Hashirama was able to spot it. "I'll spy on all those other newly founded villages a bit for you. Once I'm back, in a few months, I'm sure things will have settled down."

Tobirama's hand was on the doorknob. But he didn't like where this was going. He didn't like that his brother didn't come up with a strong argument for Madara to stay. "So you are just leaving all this mess to your niece. She is not experienced enough to lead a clan. Not during these times."

"These are peaceful times." Madara turned away from Tobirama and walked past Hashirama to the window to look outside. Lights were still lit all over the village. "And besides, my niece is more than capable. My clan adores her. They don't see her as a failure like they see me. She wasn't the one who gave Konoha away to the Senju. Not after…" He glanced at Tobirama, but didn't finish his sentence.

Yet Tobirama knew exactly what the Uchiha had wanted to say. It was all about Izuna. It had always been.

Hashirama felt the tension between them, and laughed to lighten the atmosphere. "Who would have thought that leading a village was this complicated, right? It seems it's impossible to please everyone."

Tobirama and Madara simultaneously rolled their eyes. Then Tobirama left.

* * *

Tobirama stood leaning against a tree near the gate of Konoha. It was late, so barely anyone passed by. Hashirama and Madara were standing just outside of Konoha, talking. Tobirama couldn't hear a word they said, but he was waiting for his brother. There was this small fear in Tobirama that his brother would spontaneously decide to join Madara on his journey if he didn't watch over him.

Inori and Akari approached. Just like Tobirama, Akari stopped before they reached the gate. Inori went to Madara and Hashirama. She gave her uncle a long hug, one he gladly returned. Hashirama joined in too.

The three looked like family. They were family. And Tobirama couldn't help but think of the brothers he had lost many years ago.

He averted his eyes. Emotional goodbyes were nothing he was interested in seeing.

Akari had sat down on a bench. Their eyes met for just a moment as they were both waiting. He wondered whether she expected him to walk over and chat. He felt it was the proper thing to do, a polite thing. But Tobirama was barely interested in courtesies. So he stayed leaning against his tree, alone.

Hashirama eventually returned to Tobirama, and Inori returned to Akari. The two pairs walked off into different directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really wasn't too sure about this chapter, so I guess it took a while to write. I wanted to include the daimyo and samurai a bit, so I added this chapter when I planned the story. But when I wrote it I wasn't sure whether it felt a bit out of place... but oh well, also didn't just wanna scrap it, so here it is! Guess next chapter it's finally time to start with the actual main storyline :D


	6. Sunagakure's Lost Jinchuuriki

Bijuu were the most powerful weapons that existed in the world, tailed beasts which consisted of massive amounts of chakra. Some people called them demons since they often took control of their vessel's mind, slowly turning them into no more than a shadow of their former selves. Shinobi had managed to seal those beasts in humans millennia ago. And shinobi had also gone to war over the prospect of acquiring a bijuu. They represented the ultimate symbol of power.

It was thus alarming to the Hokage when message arrived that Sunagakure's only jinchuuriki had fled the village. He'd been in confinement after murdering several townspeople.

This was a matter Sunagakure needed help with. Urgent help. So they asked their new allies, who were no strangers to tailed beasts. Konoha possessed three of them. No other village could match their number and raw talent in sealing.

Tobirama was in his brother's office. Hashirama was nervously tapping on the desk while his wife was pacing up and down in front of him. The Hokage was set on leaving for Sunagakure right away. He had already made preparations and formed a team. A lost jinchuuriki was too much of a threat. Not only for the people he might attack, but also for Konoha should another village acquire the bijuu. And everyone knew they would try as soon as word reached them.

"It's your son's wedding, Hashirama," Mito scolded him once again. "Send someone in your stead for now. You can always catch up to them."

"I'm sorry, Mito. But this is about Konoha. We cannot let Sunagakure lose this jinchuuriki. Should he cross the borders and end up in the Land of Stone, we are technically not allowed to enter their land. But this bijuu must not fall into the hands of another country. It will only destroy the balance between our countries. And with Madara gone, I am the only one who could fight him, should it come to that."

Mito studied him. She knew her husband had a point, yet she also knew that Takuma would not forgive his father for missing the wedding. "Contact Madara then and have him go," she said sharply.

Tobirama crossed his arms as he continued to observe the discussion between husband and wife. It had been a smart move of Hashirama to marry Mito Uzumaki, a move Tobirama respected. It secured the Uzumaki's loyalty towards Konoha. Yet Tobirama couldn't help feeling relieved that these emotional discussions were not part of his own life. In no world was the wedding of a child more important than the capture of a rogue jinchuuriki. He wished Hashirama would assert his position more strongly so they could finally move on and conduct a plan.

"I could take my team and meet up with the group from Sunagakure tomorrow. Your team can catch up once we know more about the location of the jinchuuriki," Tobirama said, but only to drive the conversation in the right direction again, and to give his brother yet another opportunity to conclude that he was not staying behind in Konoha for a wedding.

Tobirama's plan worked, and Hashirama said, "No, I am not letting you search for the jinchuuriki alone. This mission is dangerous enough, and every minute counts. We will all leave tomorrow morning."

Mito pressed her lips together, but she did not continue arguing. She knew it was a lost cause. "Then you will tell Takuma tonight."

There had been a short discussion whether Mito should join their mission as well. But she did not want to leave her son all alone on the day of his wedding, and Sunagakure had assured them they planned on catching the jinchuuriki alive at any cost. Resealing a bijuu was full of risks, and there was never a certainty that the new vessel would survive the sealing, not even if an Uzumaki performed it.

Tobirama straightened himself. There were a lot of preparations to be made before they could leave for Sunagakure. And time was of utmost importance. Once it caught the attention of other countries that there was a jinchuuriki running around, free for anyone to catch, they would send out teams as well.

* * *

It was still dark when Hashirama and Tobirama met with their teams at the gates of Konoha. The moonlight bathed Konoha in a silver light. Many shinobi came to say goodbye or simply watch them leave. The news of Sunagakure losing a Jinchuuriki had spread fast, despite the Hokage trying his best not to make it public.

Everyone knew that both Hashirama and Tobirama only ever left the village at the same time together when the situation was serious. Usually, one of them would stay behind to watch over Konoha. But not this time.

Akari's father arrived at the gate with her and an entourage of Hyuuga members. He eyed the Hokage with a big frown on his forehead, which added new wrinkles to the man's tired face. Akari had spent half the night arguing with him. He didn't want her to go on such a dangerous mission. And if she really had to go, he wanted Emiko to join her. Akari refused both options.

"This is a dangerous mission," her father said in the direction of the Hokage, his voice stern. He studied every single shinobi who took part in it. Inori, Riku, Akari. Hiruzen, Danzo, Kagami. They were all around the same age, young in his eyes. "Maybe a bigger group would have been wise. A jinchuuriki running wild can be incalculable."

The Hokage smiled, lightly but reassuringly. "Primarily, our mission is to find and locate the jinchuuriki. Then we can reevaluate together with Sunagakure how we will approach him. A group of too many shinobi would only draw attention. Besides, Sunagakure is also sending a team to join us."

Others started talking as well, and doubts arose. Many did not like that Konoha endangered their Hokage by sending him on a mission to capture a jinchuuriki for another village. Sunagakure should solve their problems alone.

"They are our allies. We ought to come to their help when they need it, just like they would come to help us," Hashirama said.

"Losing the jinchuuriki to a village that is not Sunagakure will pose a threat to Konoha as well," Tobirama added.

The crowd was quiet again.

"Everyone ready?" Hashirama asked with his motivational voice. "Let's head for the Land of Wind and meet up with the Sand shinobi."

The group dispatched, leaving their friends and family, their village, behind.

Tobirama stayed close to his brother, while the rest of their team walked on ahead, most of them chatting vividly with each other. If one didn't know they had just started a dangerous mission, it looked they were on a field trip with friends. It bothered Tobirama. But something else bothered him more.

"You shouldn't have taken Akari with us," he said, voice low. The others didn't have to hear, especially not Akari. But Tobirama wasn't happy with his brother.

"She's my former student. I trust her."

"This is not about trust. I'm sure she's capable." He looked ahead at the girl and her friends. For a moment, he thought their eyes met. "But her father will murder you should something happen to her. It's the same for Inori. Just imagine if we lost one of them." His voice was still no more than a whisper and he made sure to keep his head turned away from the rest of their group.

"We are shinobi. This is our life. Every mission is risky, and I will not treat them differently from any other of our clans."

"You are not thinking ahead, brother. This can only hurt our relations to their clans. There are enough other shinobi and clans in Konoha that did not join this mission. No one cares whether Akari joins. No one except for you and her father."

"Akari does too," Hashirama added. "I am thinking ahead, Tobi."

* * *

It took Hashirama's team a whole day to reach the borders to the Land of Wind. The world around them became drier and drier, the air hotter. Every drop of water and life seemed to be sucked out of the earth. The letter they had received from Sunagakure asked them to meet there, halfway between Konoha and Sunagakure.

Everyone carefully eyed the group of shinobi that had been sent from Sunagakure to aid in retrieving the jinchuuriki. Or rather, they were the shinobi that Konoha had been tasked to help. It was a group of four. Akari recognized none of them.

"I somehow expected to meet the Lord Kazekage here. Is he not joining this mission?" Hashirama said in a friendly tone.

"I'm afraid the Kazekage cannot afford to leave Sunagakure." It was the youngest of the group who answered. "Our village has taken quite the damage when the jinchuuriki fled. He did not go quietly. However, I am here to represent the current Kazekage. I'm his son, Minoru."

It irritated Tobirama that the boy spoke of the _current_ Kazekage. There was only one Kazekage and he had never mentioned stepping down in the near future.

"I didn't know Reto had a son," Hashirama said, equally irritated.

The four Sand shinobi exchanged glances, before Minoru continued speaking. "Unfortunately, our Lord Kazekage, the First, has passed away. My father, Reto's brother, has thus taken up the name of Kazekage. So I am the son of the Second and nephew to the First."

"Passed?" Tobirama asked. This was nothing he had anticipated. And it made him suspicious. "Your messenger never mentioned that your village got directly attacked or that the First Kazekage passed away."

"We apologize for that, sincerely. But we would appreciate it if this information stayed a secret. We don't need our neighboring countries to know that our jinchuuriki ran away, leaving our leader dead and our village in ruins."

Neither Hashirama nor Tobirama liked what they heard. Yet it didn't change their mission. They had both expected the Kazekage to personally join them due to its importance, yet they hadn't been promised anything.

Minoru was the youngest of the 12 shinobi present. But he was what they'd been given. The son of a new Kage they had never met. "We have sent a scout and tracking team after our jinchuuriki. We should meet up with them for information," he explained.

The Hokage agreed, but it was late already, so the shinobi decided to set up camp together and meet with the scouts the next day. The world around them had heated up over the day, so they would use the early morning hours to travel the desert.

* * *

Inori was leaning against a tree, fanning air at her face as Riku set up their tents with Kagami and Danzo. Akari and Hiruzen came back with fresh water from a nearby spring. Hashirama was sitting with his brother and Suna shinobi to gather more information about the circumstances of this mission.

"Minoru is pretty attractive, don't you think?" Inori was clearly addressing Akari, yet she drew more attention from her male teammates than from her friend.

"Isn't he a bit too young for you?" Riku immediately asked.

"He's got quite a fair complexion. Wouldn't you want someone with some more muscles?" Kagami asked.

Inori giggled at the sudden engagement her comment had caused.

"So, _is_ he the type of man you women find attractive?" Hiruzen asked Akari as casually as possible as they distributed the filled water bottles to everyone.

"I don't have a type," Akari answered shortly.

"Come on, everyone has a type!" Inori urged as she grabbed a bottle with fresh water from her friend.

"Are you people really talking about this while tracking a Jinchuuriki? There are more important topics. We should prepare for tomorrow." Danzo said.

Akari quietly agreed with him.

"We are at camp," Inori protested. "I'll worry about the Jinchuuriki once we found him." She put an arm around Akari and pulled her closer to fan air at both their faces.

"So what's your type?" Kagami asked Inori with a confident smile when Akari continued to refuse answering.

"Are you hoping for me to describe someone specific here?"

The tents were all set, so most of the group sat down to keep chatting, sharing whatever food they found in their backpacks with each other. Kagami sat close to Inori, who sat close to an annoyed Akari.

"Well, what can I say. I wouldn't say no should you happen to ask me out. I really like hot pot, just in case you were wondering."

"Oh, how nice of you," Inori laughed. "At least I already know you are a good kisser."

Riku almost dropped his food. "Wait, what? You two kissed?"

She nodded. "How old were we? Maybe 13. We often played together at our compound, and one of my cousins kept bragging how she had her first kiss and it was so magical. So I just had to try that too."

"She only used me to satisfy her curiosity. Once and never again."

"I never knew you two kissed," Riku said.

Kagami searched his backpack for a little bar of chocolate he had packed as dessert before saying, "I'm glad. Who knows what Lord Madara would do to me should he ever find out."

"You are so childish," Danzo scolded them before vanishing in his tent.

Akari agreed with him again, and also made her way to a tent, leaving the conversation behind her. Kagami and Riku both protested when Inori announced she would join her.

The tents were small, just big enough for two adults to lay next to each other. But the two girls were used to it. They had been sharing the same tent for years, ever since they became Hashirama's students and started to go on missions together.

Inori lay down next to Akari. She kept her quiet for some time, knowing it was what her friend wanted. Yet she could tell from Akari's breathing patterns that she wasn't asleep yet, so eventually, she turned onto her side to face her.

"Are you upset?"

Akari kept lying on her back, but still answered a short, "I'm not." Silence returned. Inori didn't push any further, yet Akari was well aware her answer was not enough. Not for her chatty friend. So she added, "I just wasn't interested in that topic, you know that. There's no point in discussing who we find attractive."

Inori sighed. "But it's fun just chatting about it, isn't it?"

"No, it's not. You and I won't get to choose anyway. So why even bother. It's a waste of time and counterproductive."

"Counterproductive, huh? I'm sure your father would take your opinion into account. Is there no one from the side branch you find… interesting?"

Akari finally turned to face Inori, accepting that this was going to be a longer conversation. "I don't mind who my father chooses as my husband. The side branch, they are… nice people. Good people. It's just that…" She stopped for a moment, searching for the right words. Inori patiently waited. A frown formed on her lips as the right expression didn't come to her. Eventually, she said, "All they ever do is suck up to me."

Inori was quiet for a moment before bursting into laughter. It was a hearty laugh that reminded of Hashirama. "Is that Riku speaking to me right there?" she teased.

"Why, it's true. I don't know how to phrase this more nicely. It's what they do, they suck up to me. No one ever tells me what they truly think, so how am I supposed to even know them? They are my family, but no one ever acts that way. I don't care to choose between a stone and a rock."

"A stone and a rock…?"

"Oh, don't make fun of me now. You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Wow, you really are upset, aren't you. Such harsh comparisons here. You could still always choose the nicest looking stone though." Inori's comment earned her a short slap on the shoulder. "But seriously, isn't there one you like more than the others?"

Akari shortly considered, then shrugged with one shoulder.

"Emiko is the only one who is ever being honest with me. And I can hardly marry her, can I." There was a pause as Inori threw a wide grin at her friend, almost as though she was daring her to try. But Akari soon continued. "And even Emiko isn't completely honest with me. I can tell. At the end of the day, she is still my guardian. A branch member. And I'm her superior."

She stopped herself from saying anything else. Ranting was nothing she appreciated.

"Your father must have thrown quite a fit last night."

Akari only nodded. She was done complaining. It wasn't going to improve anything, only stressed her out anew.

"See, this is one of the perks of being clan head. I don't have to argue with my uncle anymore before leaving on dangerous missions."

"You never had to anyway. Your uncle is not like my father."

"He's not," Inori agreed. "But I'm pretty sure he would have tried to stop me from joining this mission. Tracking a rogue jinchuuriki? And all this risk when it is only to Sunagakure's benefit. Nothing uncle would appreciate. Many think this is insane." They had already talked low so no one would hear, but Inori's last sentences were no more than a faint whisper.

"Konoha benefits from strong allies too," Akari said.

"I really don't know how you convinced your father to let you go on this mission."

Akari quietly laughed, relaxing a bit again. "Neither do I."

"You know what you need?" She took Akari's face into her hands to make sure her friend paid full attention. She leaned closer, before saying, "A kiss."

"A kiss?" She sighed. "Yes, I'm sure my father would be thrilled."

Inori's hands were still softly wrapped around her cheeks as they lay there facing each other. Slowly, her fingers brushed over Akari's skin until they reached her lips. "The trick is to not let him find out." Her face moved closer, so close the tips of their noses touched. "If we kissed right now, he would never know, right? As long as you and I kept our quiet, no one would know."

They looked at each other for a moment, clearly seeing each other's eyes despite the darkness around them.

Eventually, Inori started giggling again and let go of her friend.

Akari turned away from her to her other side. "You are such a tease. I can't believe it," she murmured.

"I'm sorry," Inori said, still amused by her own teasing. "You didn't think I was really going to kiss you, did you?"

"How would I know? Maybe you were curious again."

"Aww, come on. I was 13! That was my first and only kiss, actually. Who knows, maybe it's a sign?"

Akari took a deep breath. All she wanted to do was sleep at this point, but Inori was still wide awake.

"Maybe I should really ask Kagami out on a date. He's nice. Not ugly. And most importantly, an Uchiha. What do you think?"

"Yes, maybe you should."

"Are you coming too?"

"On your date? Why would I do that?"

"Well, maybe I'm a bit shy. We could ask Hiruzen or Danzo to join too. Who would you prefer?"

Akari sighed. "I'll just go to sleep now. This conversation is so tiring."

* * *

They met with one of the trackers who'd followed the jinchuuriki after he'd fled the village. He brought bad news, saying that the jinchuuriki had already crossed the borders to the Land of Stone. It was a place they were not supposed to set foot onto, not without reason. Yet they knew that if they did not catch up fast, the bijuu would most likely be lost forever.

"If he keeps on running northwards, he'll end up straight in the Land of Earth. We need to stop him before that happens." Hashirama looked over his brother's shoulder. Tobirama was already studying the map for the best routes to the Land of Stone. It was a small country, allied to the Land of Earth. They were no friends of Konoha.

Everyone had already known that they wouldn't just track the jinchuuriki down and then leave again to conduct further plans when they departed Konoha. So it came to no surprise when Hashirama decided to enter the Land of Stone, set on sealing the vessel and bringing him back to Sunagakure as fast as possible.

They kept pushing forward, and crossed the border to the Land of Stone not long after. Once they were on the right track, it was hard to miss the traces. It seemed the jinchuuriki was not interested in freeing himself to start a new life somewhere else, like many vessels had tried before. He freed himself to go on a rampage around the country.

They found destroyed houses, burning buildings, dead and traumatized people on their way.

Eventually, they reached the first major town.

People came running at them, past them. Some were screaming, others only ran. They were fleeing from something, fear and panic on their faces. Hashirama managed to stop one of them.

"There's a monster, a monster. In our village," the stranger said.

They could feel that the monster the villagers were talking about was indeed the sixtails. Its chakra lingered in the air, sending chills down their spines. It was so intense and massive that even people not trained in the detection of chakra could feel it.

"We are helping these people, right?" Kagami asked. There were more screams coming from inside the town.

Hashirama nodded. "Minoru brought seals tailored towards the jinchuuriki. We'll catch him alive and bring him back to Sunagakure. But to do that, we have to make sure the bijuu does not break out completely and kills its vessel."

Tobirama wanted to have a closer look at the situation first. So they entered the town and hid on top of some buildings to observe from a safe distance. They could see the jinchuuriki. He wore six tails on his back.

"What is he doing?" Riku asked.

The jinchuuriki was holding onto an unconscious woman. She was covered in a thick, slimy substance. One of the tails was wrapped around her. Another tail crashed through a door and pulled a man out of the house. He was screaming, trying to free himself. The tail wrapped itself around him, covering him with the same white slime as the woman.

"He's feeding on them," Hashirama quietly answered. The younger shinobi all wore a slightly different expression, ranging from surprise over shock to disbelief. But Hashirama was completely calm as he continued explaining, "Tailed beasts often seem to have a preference of sucking out chakra of living beings. It's like they are greedy demons who can't ever get enough of it. Or maybe that's exactly what they are."

"We have to help them!" Riku was ready to jump into action, but Hashirama held him back.

"We cannot act with precipitation," Tobirama said. His eyes fell on Minoru. "I assume you have those seals ready? My brother will immobilize him so you can apply them."

"What about us?" Inori asked.

"You will spread in a circle around the jinchuuriki. Don't let anyone in. We cannot be disturbed. Assist evacuation when possible."

The young shinobi all nodded. None of them had ever seen or even fought a jinchuuriki, despite having grown up with Hashirama and Madara by their sides. The two kept their beasts locked away well, and even when they chose to draw from their chakra, they managed to do so in moderation.

Hashirama stared at the jinchuuriki in front of them. More and more of the bijuu took over and he slowly lost control of his body and mind. They had to hurry. Yet he said, "I want Inori to come with me."

His words surprised Tobirama. That had not been the plan. "Why?"

"I want to see whether her eyes are strong enough to control the beast."

"Older brother, this is not the time for training practice. This is serious. We should use our advantage and start a surprise attack. You can cage him before he even knows we are here. Why take the risk?"

"At some point in life, Inori might have to face a tailed beast again. And I might not be there to control the situation. I'd rather risk this now and know that she is capable and experienced."

The atmosphere between the Konoha shinobi was tense, yet they all nodded at Inori. If there was an Uchiha besides Madara able to control a tailed beast with their Sharingan, it had to be his niece, Inori.

Inori didn't have to think twice. Her eyes changed from a deep black to red.

Tobirama didn't like it. Yet he accepted his brother's decision. Another short discussion of their plan followed, to make sure they all knew their role and position. Then, everyone was ready to go.

Akari grabbed Inori's hand and gently squeezed it before she could leave. "Take care."

"You take care as well," Inori answered.

She wanted to say more, tell her to not get hurt, not get killed by the beast. But she knew that Inori was strong enough. And more importantly, Inori had Hashirama and Tobirama by her side. She would be safe.

The two girls smiled at each other, and then left in different directions.

* * *

Akari was standing on top of a building, thoroughly checking the surroundings with her Byakugan while also keeping a wary eye on her group and the Jinchuuriki. Using the Byakugan was exhausting for her brain. Her eyes sent picture after picture, and most she was able to see she ended up not seeing after all since it would overwhelm her brain. So she scanned area after area systematically. One part after the other.

One of the Sand shinobi she suddenly realized wasn't on his position anymore. She searched for him, and found his dead body on the ground. She could tell his heart wasn't beating anymore. Her eyes showed her. There were no enemies around, at least she didn't spot any, so she checked on the others. Hiruzen was to the left of her. He was guiding an older woman away from the location of the Jinchuuriki.

To her right was Riku, standing on top of a building as well to check the area. She was just about to switch her attention to Inori and Hashirama again when her eyes caught something. Someone. It was a shinobi, neither from Sunagakure nor Konohagakure. She observed him as he approached Riku unnoticed, a kunai in his hand.

Akari knew she had to act quickly. Riku was too far away to reach him in time, but Akari didn't need to. Fighting from afar was her specialty. Within seconds, she had a scroll in her hands and activated the seal. The scroll revealed bow and arrows.

The first shot was a perfect hit. The shinobi fell over dead before he even realised something was coming at him.

There were more foreign shinobi. Their clothes told her they were likely from Iwagakure.

The Iwa shinobi followed the line of the arrow, and Akari quickly duck away, unsure whether she'd been seen.

She noted down the number of Iwa shinobi she'd spotted so far, then attached the paper to one of her arrows. This one she sent in Hashirama's direction, and sent a fire arrow right after. Now all she could do was hope they would notice it and find the time to read the message.

Riku was fighting the Iwa shinobi. Akari hurried up another building closer to them. She didn't join him to fight, but stayed out of sight to shoot more arrows. The first two hits were deadly again, then they spotted her and started dodging.

Akari was about to vanish in the shadows once more to change her position when a sudden surge of dark chakra swept past her. It was so strong and dark that Akari's whole body froze for a second.

She swallowed hard. Such a chakra could only have one source. The tailed beast must have broken free entirely.

Her eyes focused on the fight that was going on further inside the town. She had to know whether Inori and the others were in trouble. She first found the sixtails. It was now visible even without the Byakugan, towering over the houses of the small town, crashing anything in its way. Its chakra was so dense it took on a physical form.

Before her eyes could find Inori or Hashirama, a sudden buzzing sound forced her to switch her attention again. A swarm of bees was flying at her.

Akari dropped her bow and formed the signs for a fire jutsu. The buzzing was gone as fast as it had appeared.

"Bloody fire jutsu." An Iwa shinobi appeared. "I should have guessed." More bees crawled on the man's skin. One vanished in his nose. It sent a shiver down Akari's spine.

Riku found his way to Akari as well. The Iwa shinobi had not been the only one to notice her involvement in the fight.

"What's going on?" He asked as he naturally positioned himself behind Akari to cover her back. Almost immediately they were surrounded by five Iwa shinobi.

"I have no idea," Akari said, her focus switching between her enemies.

"Well, it seems it's time to have some fun," Riku said with a smile on his face, trying his best to sound like this was just like any other mission, that there wasn't a giant chakra beast crushing buildings not too far from them. "Let's finish this quickly and make sure Inori is alright."

They were still fighting on the rooftops when another wave of dark chakra shot past them. Again, Akari looked back, towards the source of it, towards her friends and teammates. This time, her eyes found them. They were still fighting. All of them. Hiruzen, Danzo and Kagami had reunited with them. They were at least alive.

But she spotted someone else. Someone new who was fighting Hashirama. The man almost disappeared into thin air before showing up behind the Hokage again. He was fast. So fast he looked like he was using Tobirama's Hiraishin.

"The Raikage?" Akari gasped. "Kumogakure is –" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Something moved behind her. Akari shifted her attention back to the Iwa shinobi and dodged an attack.

Somehow, the Iwa shinobi did not care for the tailed beast at all. They did not try to approach, did not even look into its direction. All they did was keep Akari from rejoining the others.

Riku swung his sword at an enemy. The steel missed, but the blade of wind that was even sharper hit. The Iwa shinobi got neatly cut in two. "We need to get back to the others," he said, and the worry was clearly noticeable in his voice.

Fighting a tailed beast that had broken out was risky enough. Fighting the Raikage at the same time seemed like a death sentence.

No one knew how both Iwagakure and Kumogakure could join this battle, how they even knew about the lost jinchuuriki. But they had no time to wonder. The Iwa shinobi charged at them again.

More houses collapsed in the distance, sending a defeated growl through the air.

Akari couldn't even think to look. She felt a sudden sting on her neck. Her hands found a bee. She snipped the insect away, but the pain told her it had been too late.

The single bee had managed to sneak up on her without her noticing.

She didn't think much of it. One bee sting would not kill her. She continued fighting, but the Iwa shinobi kept her at a distance. They were too close to use a bow, yet kept far enough away with earth jutsu for the Gentle Fist to be effective.

Akari's movements became slower. Her eyes became heavier.

And all of a sudden, an inner force was about to overwhelm her. She tried to fight it, but weakness spread in her body.

"Riku," she called out to her teammate, tried to let him know she was about to collapse. But even talking felt too exhausting. Her legs gave in, and she fell to the ground.

She could hear Riku's voice, telling her to get up. It was the last thing she heard before closing her eyes.

* * *

Tobirama appeared behind his brother, staring into the cold eyes of the Raigake who was about to ram his fist down onto Hashirama. Another moment and the two Senju were gone.

The Hiraishin was the only option they had to keep up with the Raigake's natural speed.

"Leave, Tobirama!" Hashirama urged his brother for yet another time. "You have to go after the jinchuuriki. It's more important."

The tailed beast had decided to run once it found itself surrounded by shinobi from Suna, Konoha and Kumo. Especially since Konoha and Kumogakure had both brought their own jinchuuriki.

Hashirama's team had immediately taken up pursuit. But the Raigake stood in the way of the Senju brothers.

Tobirama's eyes switched between the tailed beast and his brother. The sixtails had stopped in the nearby forest, leaving a path of trampled buildings and trees behind. It seemed the fight between the beast and whatever shinobi were fighting it continued there.

"You can't fight him alone," Tobirama said. The Raigake was not only fast. He was also the jinchuuriki of the eighttails. A threat much bigger than the beast in the woods that had gone insane. He was one of the only three known shinobi to be able to control the tailed beast's power. And that made him the only shinobi alive to compete with Hashirama and Madara.

"I can," Hashirama said. "As soon as my sage mode is active, you will go and make sure the Kumo shinobi do not get a hold of the sixtails."

Tobirama reluctantly agreed, and did his best to guard his brother while he was charging up nature energy.

As soon as Hashirama opened his eyes with newfound strength, Tobirama distanced himself from the battle. He sprinted towards the forest, following the path of destruction.

The Raikage appeared in his way once again, but Hashirama quickly followed and engaged him in a battle to allow his brother to pass.

Roots emerged from the ground. They tried to catch the Raikage, but he was too fast. Yet him dodging the attacks was enough to offer an opening.

Tobirama was already moving again when he heard someone approach.

Riku was calling for his brother, approaching in a hurry.

Tobirama stopped. Hashirama's student seemed to be in more than just a hurry. But before Riku could reach them, a sudden shockwave destroyed the last of the houses still standing, sending debris flying into all directions. Riku was exactly in its trajectory.

Tobirama teleported to the kunai lying closest to him, and produced an immense jet of water that was strong enough to change the direction of the flying debris.

"That was close," Riku gasped. "What was that?"

"Hashirama is fighting the Raikage. We cannot stay here." Tobirama was expecting him to follow his lead and join him, but Riku didn't move.

"Akari, she's -"

There was a second shockwave, yet another product of the fight between the two Jinchuuriki. And again, debris and dust flew into all directions, making dodging almost impossible. Tobirama checked the location of his seals, but none of them seemed safe.

This time he used an earth jutsu to sink the ground around them, forming a protective crater. The stones flew past them above their heads.

"Where's Inori?" Riku asked as he looked around for the first time and realised that it was only Hashirama and Tobirama present.

"I was on my way to her. She went after the sixtails. Let's go." Again, Tobirama had to realise that Riku wasn't following.

"We can't," he said instead. "They have Akari. Iwagakure took Akari!"

Tobirama's eyes narrowed as his mind was processing the new information. "That doesn't matter now," he soon said. "The Jinchuuriki is our number one priority."

He jumped out of the rift. The immediate vicinity was quiet again. The fight had moved to another part of the town.

"What are you talking about?" Riku climbed after him. "We can't just let them take her!"

"Right now, your other teammate is fighting with Kumo over a bijuu that is rampaging as we speak. All while our Hokage is fighting the Raikage. So you will come with me and make sure you aren't the only one returning to Konoha at the end of this day."

"Then at least send one of those Shadow Clones of yours after her!"

Tobirama looked at Riku, frowned. "You know how much chakra it costs to form a Shadow Clone? A clone alone likely won't manage to free her. It's not worth it."

"Not worth it?" he snapped back. "How can you say that? We are talking about our teammate here. At least have the clone track them so we know where they take her."

"I know well enough where they are taking her. Back to Iwagakure."

He turned away from Riku again, ready to leave for the forest. Hashirama and the Raikage were still fighting. What was once a town looked now more like a forest growing in a ruin. The battle between the two was hard to follow. The shinobi of Kumogakure were known to be some of the fastest shinobi, enhancing and steeling their muscles with electrical impulses.

Tobirama watched them. Hashirama had the upper hand. His stamina greatly exceeded the Raikage's and while the Raikage was still as fast as lightning, Tobirama could see he had slowed down a bit. He didn't know the exact theory on how Kumo shinobi enhanced their speed and strength, but he could guess that it put a strain on their bodies.

Another idea sparked in Tobirama's head. Right before his eyes, he could see the one thing that was more advantageous for Konoha than bringing back Suna's jinchuuriki - killing the vessel of the eighttails, the Raikage.

Suna had failed to harvest the power of the sixtails. The gain they got from taking it back was mostly to deny it from other villages - to deny other villages the option to try and control it.

And now that the sixtails had broken free, there was no guarantee that they would manage to reseal it. Even without Kumogakure it would be hard. The jinchuuriki was likely dead already, overwhelmed and killed by the beast, and they had not prepared for a new sealing. They lacked a new vessel, the right seals.

The only part that worried him was the wellbeing of Kagami, Hiruzen and Danzo. And Inori too. They had gone after the bijuu with the Kazekage's son. He hadn't heard from them since, didn't know whether they were even still alive.

But that made it all the more important that he finished this quickly. So he gave one of his kunai to Riku and explained his plan.

Riku carefully listened. "I'll help," he agreed. "I'll help as soon as you send a Shadow Clone after Akari. There's no guarantee we'll be able to track them down once this fight is over. And what do we do once they reached Iwa? We have to catch up to them before that, and to do so, we need to know exactly which route they are taking."

Tobirama looked at him, considered for just a moment before saying, "Fine." He formed signs, and a second version of himself appeared next to him. He gave the clone one of his kunai as well and sent him after Akari and her captors.

Then they turned back to the Raikage. The plan was simple enough. They would do a surprise attack while the Raikage was still focused on fighting Hashirama.

Riku was the first to ambush the eighttail's jinchuuriki. He sneaked past the ruins of what had once been a town. The wooden vines that crept out of the ground offered additional protection.

Tobirama watched as Riku managed to land a direct hit with his sword on their enemy. The Raikage's clothes were cut in two from the additional wind that accompanied the sword's slash and tried to slice him up.

But apart from a superficial cut on the Raikage's skin, Riku's attack inflicted no damage. It was just as Tobirama had expected. The Kage's muscles were too hard to cut into.

Kumo's leader was now going for a counterattack onto Riku, seeing an opportunity for an easy kill. This was Tobirama's opening. The shinobi's attention was completely split between Riku and Hashirama.

Tobirama teleported into the fight, a fire jutsu already prepared. As soon as he appeared next to Riku and the Raikage, he unleashed it onto the enemy from close distance.

Riku duck away from the sudden wave of heat, and even Hashirama stopped to watch.

The hardened muscles did not protect the skin from burning.

The Raikage screamed as he tried to beat the fire out. The three Konoha shinobi all went for the last hit.

Before any of them could reach him, dark chakra emerged from the Raikage and covered his whole body. It extinguished the flames and blocked the sword slashes that Tobirama and Riku threw at him.

The Raikage cussed at them, swore that there'd be retribution. The chakra of the eighttails protected him but the damage was already done. Beneath the chakra, his skin was burned, leaving open wounds all over his upper body with black spots of scorched skin on it.

He couldn't continue the fight like that. Not even the eighttails chakra could save him from the burns. So he decided to flee.

"Good job." Hashirama landed next to them. "Let's go after him."

Tobirama followed his brother, ready to finish what he had started. "My fire jutsu wasn't as strong as I would have liked. I need to work on it more," he reflected.

Riku ran after them too, and grabbed Hashirama's arm to stop him. "Sensei, Iwagakure captured Akari. They are taking her back to the Land of Earth right now."

"Captured her?" Hashirama immediately stopped to listen to his former student.

Riku nodded. "They narcotized her, took her alive. I tried to stop them but…"

"The Raikage will likely retreat to his shinobi. He's injured - this is our chance to kill him and make sure our team fighting the sixtails is alright," Tobirama said before his brother would be swayed.

"We can't just abandon her!" Riku immediately snapped at him. "If we go now, maybe we can catch up."

A deep frown formed on Hashirama's forehead and spread through his whole face. He turned away from Riku before saying, "I'm sorry. We can't."

"But sensei! If we don't go now, they'll be too far gone. They'll reach Iwagakure and Akari will be completely out of our reach!"

Hashirama shook his head. "I _have_ to go after Inori and the others. I can't save them both, not at the same time. If Iwagakure are after the Byakugan, they likely won't kill her. At least not right away. Right now, I need to make sure the Raikage does not take the sixtails, and that Inori and the others are alive and well."

Riku was worried about Inori as well. The destroyed town around them showed him just how powerful the beasts were. He understood what his teacher was saying. Maybe he even agreed. But he still couldn't give up on a teammate. "Then I'll go after Akari."

"I can't let you go alone. It's too dangerous."

"But… she's my teammate. My friend!"

Tobirama watched them argue. His right foot impatiently tapped on the ground. This was taking too long. This was a waste of time.

"I'll go," he eventually said. "I can manage on my own."

"Then I'll come with you," Riku decided.

Tobirama scuffed. "You'd just slow me down." The look on Riku's face told him that he might have been too harsh, so he added, "Besides, my brother will need your help more than I do. You two take care of the Raikage and the sixtails. I will bring Akari back."

Hashirama was not convinced. "We are close to the borders, Tobi. This is enemy territory. We are technically not even allowed to enter their lands, and you don't know how many Iwa shinobi are lurking out there."

"I have the Hiraishin," Tobirama calmly said. "I'll leave my marks on the way. Should anything happen, it only takes a second and I am back here."

Hashirama nodded. A hopeful smile formed on his lips.

"Now go and find the Raikage and the others. We have wasted enough time here." Tobirama threw a kunai to his brother and turned away from them.

"Tobi, thank you," his brother said. "And good luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mhh, this one turned out a biiit longer than intended. I'm reeeally looking forward to the next chapters myself, but I might only be able to update the next one in the second week of November, got lots to do the next 3 weeks. Gotta see how it goes :D
> 
> In case anyone's interested and wants to know who Minoru is, I did imagine him to be the (future) 3rd Kazekage (who somehow doesn't have a name?). I very creatively named him after his voice actor. Just wanted to throw that out there because I really like the 3rds character design, but he won't really be part of the story. (not until I start a Sunagakure spin-off at least...)
> 
> I also think it makes sense for a Kage to choose close family or at least someone from their clan as a successor. And I really enjoy creating additional connections between the canon characters, so we now have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Kazekage all related to each other. Spent a long time staring at the scarce amount of pictures available for those three, wondering whether they might actually be related based on looks. ... guess they don't. But genetics are weird sometimes, so...
> 
> See ya in the next chapter :)


	7. In the Land of Earth

Tobirama had left his brother and team behind to search for Akari Hyuuga, abducted by Iwa shinobi. His Shadow Clone was following them, at least that's what he hoped his clone was doing. He searched for the chakra signature of his sealing formula, but he couldn't find the kunai he'd given to the clone. That meant it was out of reach of his Hiraishin.

But that was a good sign. If his clone was already that far away, chances were he was following their tracks.

Tobirama left the village to travel northwards. It was the only direction that made sense. To the north, he could already see the mountain range that marked the border to the Land of Earth. They stuck out of the ground like huge spikes, with not a single tree growing on them, just hard stone. Legends said that the Iwa shinobi, old mountain tribes, created them with earth jutsu to stop outsiders from entering their country. Other legends claimed they were the result of two bijuu fighting each other.

Whatever proved true, they certainly had no natural origin.

Once Tobirama had covered a good amount of distance, he searched for his sealed kunai again. This time, he could clearly feel it further ahead. He hid another kunai close-by, just in case he'd have to retreat fast, and used the Hiraishin.

Tobirama had not expected to end up in a dark place. He quickly tried to get an idea of where he was as soon as his body appeared next to his clone. They were in a tunnel. There was not a hint of sunlight to be found, yet his surroundings weren't completely black. White and blue stones were glowing all around them, bathing the tunnels in an unnatural soft light.

His clone signalled him to be silent, so Tobirama focused his hearing on their surroundings. It was completely quiet.

It came to no surprise to Tobirama that the Iwa shinobi travelled through underground tunnels. It was common knowledge that the Land of Earth was connected by a plethora of secret tunnels. Some even said that whole underground villages existed.

But Tobirama knew that this made the whole situation even more complicated. Tunnels were dangerous. Hard to navigate, poor visibility, and in a country full of earth style users, it meant the enemies might lurk around any corner, or even beneath his feet.

The only thing that made him feel confident enough was his Hiraishin, the knowledge that he'd be able to teleport back to his brother in an instant. At least as long as he would leave kunai behind.

The Shadow Clone and Tobirama continued down the tunnel. They followed the glowing stones that seemed to point them into the right direction. Sometimes the ways parted. But only one of them was ever lit up. The other was completely dark.

They never talked about which way to take. They never talked at all. They both had the same thoughts, the same opinion. And they both just wanted to get this over with and return with the girl.

Eventually, the path they were following led them into complete darkness.

They stopped, stared down the black tunnel before them. The same stones that had been lighting up their way so far were still part of the walls and ceiling. They simply weren't glowing anymore. Tobirama touched one of them and infused just a bit of chakra. It started glowing almost immediately and continued to do so even when he removed his hand again.

"Phosphorescence, huh."

They searched the walls. Both had the same idea. Someone must have activated them up to this point, and then stopped. Either there was a secret door somewhere or the Iwa shinobi somehow decided to continue walking in the darkness. They knocked against the stone, ran their hands over it to find cracks.

His clone was the first to be successful, "There seems to be a hollow space behind this wall."

Tobirama was glad he had invested all those hours learning earth style jutsu. It was his least proficient element, yet he'd always been convinced that knowing the basics of every of the five elements was more valuable than having mastered only one.

He formed signs, and the wall in front of him opened, revealing a new tunnel. This one was lit up again. They were still on the right track.

* * *

The tunnel eventually ended in a dead-end. Tobirama again used an earth jutsu to move the wall in front of them. The sunlight that immediately fell into the tunnels hurt his eyes, despite being weak. The sun outside was setting behind the mountains. They'd walked beneath the earth for hours.

It seemed they were far into the mountains of the Land of Earth already. The air smelled fresh, and an icy breeze blew past them. To their right was a huge cliffside. Apart from a few pine trees and grass growing on top of rocky hills, there was barely any vegetation. Just stone and rocks.

A small road nearby led out of the mountains or further into them. They could only guess in which direction the Iwa shinobi had gone. Around them, there was nothing but nature and clouds hanging low around the mountains, dipping them in a mysterious mist.

They looked around, but could not find any hints. Instead, they heard voices. They immediately looked for cover behind a giant rock. Shinobi walked past them, wearing the symbol of Iwagakure on their heads. They were following the road, but Akari was nowhere to be seen and they also didn't look like they had just abducted the daughter of the Hyuuga's clan head either.

So Tobirama waited until they had passed. Once they'd been gone for a while, he couldn't help but sigh. This mission was reckless and idiotic after all. He had only a vague idea where those tunnels had taken him, an idea that was more of a guess. Theoretically, he could be anywhere now. And the closer they were to Iwagakure, the slimmer the chances to get Akari back, and the higher the risk of encountering Iwa shinobi.

He approached the road again, looked in both directions. It was empty for now.

"Should I go left and you go right?" his Shadow Clone asked.

Tobirama hadn't expelled him. The chakra he had used to form him he would not get back anyway, and this way, the clone might at least still be of use. He would have preferred to keep the clone close, even now. But while he had a feeling Iwagakure lay further ahead, deeper into the mountains, he couldn't guarantee to know the correct direction.

So he nodded, and the Shadow Clone took the way that led downhill.

Tobirama took a deep breath. He thought of his brother, hoped he and their students were fine. The fight would likely be over by now. Maybe they were already on their way back to Sunagakure with the captured jinchuuriki. Maybe they were all dead. He couldn't know.

When he checked the last seal he'd dropped, he realised it was almost out of range. It was time to leave a new one. The chain that led him straight back to the Land of Stone was useless should just one be out of range. But Tobirama only had one kunai left.

If he left this kunai here and it somehow came to a fight between him and the Iwa shinobi, and that was likely since they wouldn't just let Akari go once he showed up, his combat power would suffer immensely without a single seal to use during the fight.

But if he did not leave the seal and continued, there was no easy way back anymore.

The sun was slowly setting behind the mountain tops. Night was approaching.

A big part of his mind told him to turn around and head back. The odds of finding Akari before they reached Iwagakure were slim. The tunnels had slowed him down too much. Vision had been scarce and he had to expect encountering an enemy shinobi at any time. Maybe the best he could do was to wait for his Shadow Clone to come back. And maybe sent out a second one. But he'd also used up quite a large amount of chakra during the fight with the Raikage, teleporting his brother and himself back and forth.

He put the kunai back into his pockets again. Only an optimist would leave the kunai there. Someone like his brother, who'd hope to find Akari right around the next corner.

His brother's face appeared before him again. And Tobirama remembered the hopeful smile on his lips when he suggested going after Akari and bringing her back. His brother never stated it, but he knew that this was Hashirama's will. He'd want him to give everything to bring his former student back, the girl he half raised.

The Senju's face was frozen. Not a single muscle in his body moved as he stared ahead, further into the Land of Earth, and felt like he was being torn apart. To continue or to return. He wondered what his brother would do. The answer seemed obvious. Hashirama would venture on with blind optimism.

Tobirama chose to follow into his brother's footsteps for once. Not because he was an optimist. But maybe it was better if he died there, walking aimlessly into enemy territory to save a girl, than to return to Konoha and face his brother and her father without her.

So Tobirama continued.

* * *

When Akari woke up again, she found herself lying on hard ground. It took a moment before her memory came back. She remembered the battle, the Iwa shinobi.

Her body instinctively wanted to rise and defend itself. But her hands were tied behind her back with a ninja knot. It made sure her fingers were far enough away to form any hand seals whatsoever. No seals, no jutsu.

"Awake already, huh?" The Iwa shinobi stood by the door, arms crossed. He was observing her.

They were in a small stone hut. There was barely anything in the room except for a few blankets and backpacks.

Akari's limbs hurt as she sat up. The position she'd been in was anything but comfortable, but it seemed she'd passed out for quite a while. It was bright outside. She couldn't tell whether it was still the same day, whether it had been hours or days since they took her.

Another Iwa shinobi sat in a corner, carving a statuette with a kunai. He barely paid attention to her, but Akari recognised him. He was the one whose body was residing bees.

There was no hostility present in the room. Only slight tension and carefulness. It was no atmosphere that made her fear for her life. Not yet. Wherever they were going, likely Iwagakure, they'd been tasked to bring her alive.

"You never went for the sixtails," Akari noted. There really wasn't anything else to do except for talking. "Were you not interested in the tailed beast?"

He didn't answer her, just continued staring at her with a face of stone. The other one continued carving like she wasn't even there.

The third shinobi entered with a breeze of fresh air. "I got all the supplies!" she said happily, holding up a big shopping bag. Her enthusiasm died down a bit when she saw Akari was awake.

"Wasn't she supposed to sleep longer?" she asked.

The man carving stopped and put his work away. "You have to be careful not to overdose. Better she wakes up a few hours earlier than never at all." He put everything in a small pouch and hung it around his waist. They were leaving.

Akari wondered whether there were more Iwa shinobi outside. There'd been more when she fought them with Riku.

"So carefully give her another dose," the girl urged.

"We've almost reached Iwa," the other man said again. "No need to risk anything. She's no Uchiha. Her eyes are useless without her hands."

 _Almost reached Iwa_. Akari knew once she entered the ninja village, the chance of fleeing was almost zero. She'd never been to Iwagakure, and only had a vague idea of where it was located, but if it was anything like Konoha, it would be filled with skilled shinobi. Guards, walls, secure cells. Either she would have to find a way to flee now or not at all.

They'd taken everything from her, scrolls, weapons. And the Iwa shinobi was right. Without her hands, there was not much she could do.

The three shinobi packed their stuff and were ready to continue the journey back to their village. They barely talked while Akari was with them. One gave her water, careful so she wouldn't choke.

It seemed they had stayed the night in a small village. Civilians watched them as they left, curious to know who they were and what they were doing. But no one dared question the shinobi.

One of the men pushed her forward when she refused to walk, threatening to drug her again should she not comply.

They walked through a forest, huge pine trees towered around them left and right. They almost prevented any sun rays from reaching the forest floor. Akari carefully moved her hands and arms. The wire sat tight. It wasn't cutting into her flesh just yet, but it would if she attempted to free herself.

By chance, the wire was right on top of one of her chakra points. An idea came to her. If she expelled enough chakra through that point, she might be able to tear the wire apart. Might. She'd never done it before, and she wasn't sure how much chakra was needed. If she used too much, her capturers would notice her attempt. In that case, they would be sure to use whatever substance they had used on her before, and she would wake up in a cell in Iwagakure.

So she started slow, by expelling just as much chakra as she was sure would get unnoticed. All while quietly walking next to them. It would take a while, but eventually the wire should tear. How long she didn't know.

Time passed, and it felt like hours. They left the forest, walked uphill and downhill, and uphill again, all while being surrounded by huge mountains, whose tops were covered in snow and mist. It made her anxious. The place looked nothing like Konoha and the Land of Fire. The Land of Fire was green and flat, with trees and flowers growing on vast fields. But the Land of Earth was grey and brown, covered in sharp rocks and soil.

To her right was a stone wall. A rock came rolling down every now and then. To her left was a steep slope that ended into yet another cliff. It was like the mountains had all been torn apart at some point in time. There was another dark forest down below, an ocean of pine trees, their needles so dark the world down there almost looked black.

At times, their path became so narrow they had to walk in a row, one person after the other.

Akari thought about running down the slope and jumping. She wasn't sure whether she'd survive, how deep the ravine down there was. Maybe it would be for the best if she died trying, she thought. Better than being a prisoner of Iwagakure.

But there was too much hope in her heart that she would be able to flee after all.

When the mountain path had become wider again, Akari felt a sudden snap, and the pressure on her hands and arms was gone. She was free. The shinobi walking to her left, the one with the bees, was still quietly looking ahead. There was one more behind her, and one in the front. They hadn't realized yet that she was free. But they would soon.

There was only one opportunity. It was now or never.

Akari activated her Byakugan and before anyone realized, her palms were already on top of the most vital chakra points of the enemy closest to her, disabling them, killing. She grabbed one of his kunai. There was the sudden sound of bees buzzing inside of him as one after the other left his body through nose and mouth. But Akari had no time to worry about them now. A quick glance at both her remaining enemies and she had decided on the next target.

The girl walking in front of her was about to turn around, her hand also on her way to a kunai, when Akari had already reached her, driving the blade into the girl's throat. Two she managed to kill by taking them by surprise.

She turned to face the last one. His face was full of anger and shock, but that didn't stop him from forming hand seals to attack her.

The bees seemed equally angry, almost as though they knew she killed their host. They swarmed at her. She killed them with fire, and they burned together with the shinobi who'd housed them.

The last Iwa shinobi did well in keeping her at bay with his jutsu. He was an earth style user. Stones flew in Akari's direction, spikes emerged from the ground, and the soil she stood on tried to swallow her.

But Akari could use jutsu too. For every stone that flew in her direction, she sent a fireball back. When spikes stopped her, she summoned a water dragon that charged through the spikes in her stead. When the soil tried to wrap itself around her feet, she dodged by going for another attack.

The two shinobi were fighting on the mountain side, running up and down the stony slopes. The chakra in their feet just so managed to glue them to the ground. Sometimes the impact of their attacks was so harsh it caused rockslides, and no matter the amount of chakra in their feet, it was of no use when the whole ground was being swept away.

Akari eventually managed to get close to him. Without her bow and teammates, this was the fighting style she thought would benefit her most. She hit one of the chakra points on his shoulders. The earth beneath her rumbled. More spikes shot out of the ground, following her as she retreated.

The Iwa shinobi had clearly given up on trying to catch her alive. He couldn't afford it. They both had to give their best, or the other one would kill them. One misstep meant death.

The earth continued rumbling. The rocks she stood on broke away and rained downwards. Akari had to jump elsewhere to not lose her footing. The enemy managed to grab her. He pressed her down. Akari struggled to free herself, but he was stronger.

More rocks rolled past her. The rumbling and roaring of the mountains became even more vicious. And suddenly, the ground beneath them was moving, pulling them downhill, right towards a ravine.

Akari wanted to run, but the shinobi held onto her. She wasn't sure if he tried to kill them both. She managed to free herself, mainly because he let go to dodge rocks coming down at them. But it was too late. They reached the edge of the cliff, and were washed over it in a wave of soil and stone.

Akari was flying. She couldn't find anything to hold onto as gravity pulled her down.

The world around her went black for yet another time as her body hit hard ground.

* * *

Akari's head hurt when she opened her eyes. The world around her was spinning. She closed them again, hoping it would somehow ease the pain in her head. It didn't.

She was lying between rocks. Her right foot was stuck, but other than that, it seemed she'd been lucky. She freed her foot and sat up. Her head was throbbing, like something inside of it was vibrating constantly. She ran both hands over her scalp but couldn't find the source of the pain. It was everywhere. One hand came back bloody.

Not far away lay the Iwa shinobi. His body was covered with rocks and earth. He wasn't moving. She checked his pulse. There was none. She checked her own next, though she wasn't quite sure anymore how to count the beats.

She leaned against a big boulder, closing her eyes until she thought the world had stopped spinning.

Slowly, she realized that she had to leave. It was likely their fight had attracted attention. And she was still in enemy territory, even if unsure where exactly. Iwagakure could be close. More shinobi could be on their way already. She straightened herself and walked towards the dark forest.

She would have to rest before figuring out where she was and, most importantly, how to get back home.

* * *

Tobirama hadn't slept at all, and now he was exhausted and tired somewhere in the Land of Earth. He spent the night on top of a big tree. Part of him wanted to continue, catch up. But he could barely decide which way to go during the day, let alone at night. So he continued with the first rays of sunlight.

His Shadow Clone disbanded due to fatigue long ago. The clones were beings full of chakra, but they could not regenerate it. Once the chakra was used up, they were gone. He'd felt the moment it happened. The clone sent him even more exhaustion and he now regretted that he hadn't dispelled him earlier. Information his clone hadn't found. A waste.

He came across villages on his way, but never dared ask anyone for directions or even openly show himself. He wasn't exactly an unknown face among shinobi and even his clothes would give away that he was an outsider, a foreigner, to people who didn't know already.

For some hours he shadowed Iwa shinobi who looked like they would be returning to their village from a mission. But there was no trace of Akari. And he became more and more certain that he'd lost them. That he was lost.

There was a growling in the mountains not far ahead of them. It sounded like rocks breaking apart and crashing down the mountainside.

The Iwa shinobi ran ahead. Tobirama slowly followed them, making sure he kept enough distance to not be spotted.

When he caught up with them again, they were looking at two corpses. One of them was burned beyond recognition.

The Iwa shinobi seemed clueless. They were arguing what to do, called around, asked if anyone else was there, then it seemed they decided to get help and left.

Tobirama now stepped up to the two dead bodies. The burned corpse he could tell was a man, not a woman. His eyes followed the traces of the battle as his mind tried to reconstruct what had taken place. Parts of the ground were unnaturally damp. It all pointed towards a fight between an earth style user and a fire and water user. Knowing the latter were also the elements Akari used, he prayed it was no coincidence.

He eventually reached the part of the mountainside where the rockslide had happened. He jumped down the cliff, following the movements the earth had taken. It wasn't too high, and he landed perfectly on his two feet, right next to a mound of rocks and earth. He found another dead Iwa shinobi, crushed by his own element.

For a moment, he wondered whether he would find Akari somewhere underneath those rocks as well, buried completely. But then he spotted blood, fresh blood, on top of the stones.

From up the cliffside, he could hear voices. More Iwa shinobi had arrived. Tobirama retreated into the nearby forest, hoping that all this meant that Akari was close, and alive.

* * *

Tobirama slowly walked around the forest. His senses were on high alert, hoping to find the Hyuuga girl. But he also had to expect that the Iwa shinobi would eventually search the area. He had to find her before they would. How, he didn't know. She could be anywhere, if she was even there at all.

Tobirama kept walking and walking.

It took a while until he noticed someone's presence. They were behind him. He swirled around, kunai in hand.

Akari stood in front of him. Her muscles slightly relaxed as their eyes met.

"Is this really you?" she asked, doubting her own senses.

Relief spread in Tobirama, paired with a hint of disbelief. He had actually found her. And she had found him.

Yet they were far away from safety still.

"Are you injured?" The traces the fight had left on her were obvious. Scratches on her arms, fabrics torn, clothes stained with dirt and mud. But other than that, no bigger injuries came to his attention.

Akari shook her head. "I spotted you with the Byakugan, but I thought my eyes had to be fooling me. Are the others here as well?"

Tobirama looked around. "We can't stay here. There are Iwa shinobi back at the mountainside."

She nodded knowingly. They both left in a hurry to find a spot that was more secure, farther away from the battle site, and hidden. Not long after, they stopped. A hillside covered in bushes and conifers gave them enough cover to at least one side for them to take a minute to breathe and recollect

"What about Hashirama-sensei and the others?" she asked again.

"They couldn't come." He spotted the blood on her hands. "Whose blood is that?"

She looked at it and shrugged, then touched the back of her head. "I think I hit my head when I fell off the cliff."

"Let me see." He didn't wait for her to say anything else, just stepped up and stroked her hair away. "Needs stitches."

"Here?" she said rather unsure as he pulled out a small sewing set.

There was no time to waste and Tobirama liked to get things done. A fight between them and the Iwa shinobi was possible at any moment. They had to be ready. So he told her to sit down as he cleaned the wound with water jutsu. The water that dripped down her hair was red with blood.

"Ready?" He didn't quite believe her when she nodded, but continued anyway. The needle quickly went through her skin. It wasn't the first time Tobirama had to stitch someone up out on the field.

Akari flinched. On the second stitch she clenched her teeth, trying to hide the pain.

He kept going as she didn't say otherwise though her face became more and more pained.

After a few more stitches, he concluded it was sufficient for the wound to heal properly. Akari looked like she'd sunken into the ground and was now two heads smaller. Her hand carefully reached for the wound to check.

"Will it scar?"

"Not like anyone would ever see it." He put the sewing set away again. "We should hurry back to the Land of Fire."

"What happened in the Land of Stone?," she asked, looking up at him. "Are the others alright?"

He wished he could answer in the affirmative. "I don't know," he said instead. "I left before the battle was over."

Her head dropped, but she nodded. She tried to push herself up to continue, but as soon as she put weight on her right foot, she cringed and sat back down. She had to use her other foot to stand up. Tobirama noticed, but before he could say anything, she asked, "How do we get back to the Land of Fire?"

He looked around, thinking. "For now, we should probably make sure we get some distance between us and our enemies. If your abduction was planned or if the Tsuchikage somehow knew that you were with his shinobi and killed them, I'm certain he will send many skilled shinobi after you." Tobirama had an idea on how to get back to the tunnel entrance. He had a fairly good sense of direction. But the Iwa shinobi worried him. "Can you see them?"

Akari activated her Byakugan. A few moments later, she said, "We should probably hurry."

Tobirama nodded. He glanced down at her foot. "Are you sure you can run? Because if not…"

"I can," she interrupted him. "Let's go."

So Tobirama started a slow sprint, which he soon discontinued again. Akari followed after him, but she was slow, and clearly in pain, putting less weight on one side of her body.

"Show me your foot," he said. Akari claimed that there was nothing wrong. "I'm not blind," he snarled at her, "Just sit down."

She finally gave in and quietly sat down on a small tree trunk. She winced as Tobirama took her boot off, and again when he pressed his thumb on her ankle. It was red and swollen.

"You are not going anywhere with this. It's fractured."

She pressed her lips together and grabbed her boot. "We are in the middle of the Land of Earth. I don't exactly have much choice but to walk on it." She put the boot back on and rose. "It might be alright if we don't run too fast. I can walk."

"Too slow. I'll carry you. We'll be faster that way."

She defensively crossed her arms in front of her. "Thank you, but I don't need you to carry me. As I said, I can walk. I can even run. I'll get used to the pain."

He frowned at her. "You are risking permanent damage and you are wasting time. I'll be faster with you on my back than with you walking on a broken foot. So just let me carry you. We don't have all day."

"Can you not just use the Hiraishin?"

"There are no seals nearby I could teleport to. So no, I can't."

The Hyuuga girl bit her lips, but eventually said, "Fine. If you don't mind, then I would appreciate it if you could carry me." She was speaking in a polite manner, but still visibly had to force the words over her lips.

He sighed. The fact it had taken her so long to accept the inevitable bothered him. They could have already made a good amount of distance. Without wasting any more time, he allowed her to climb on his back and they started their return to the Land of Fire.

* * *

It didn't take long until Akari noticed that enemies were approaching, chasing after them. She was observing them with her Byakugan as Tobirama kept his eyes on the forest in front of them. The Iwa shinobi had found their trail, and were tracking them.

Tobirama stopped next to a large tree. Outrunning them was not an option. Not with an additional person on his back. There were at least five Iwa shinobi headed in their direction according to Akari.

"Take this." He gave her his last Hiraishin kunai. "Hide here. I will lay a false trail and then teleport back. Can you do that?"

She took the blade. His last question sounded doubtful, so she made sure to speak with conviction. "I can."

Tobirama left.

Akari held onto the kunai as she pressed her back against the tree trunk behind her. Her eyes searched her surroundings for a better hiding spot, but it was all too open. She thought about using the Illusion Jutsu to camouflage herself, match the colours of bark. But if they had sensors, she only risked that the usage of chakra would lead them right to her. So she jumped up on a branch, and carefully observed both Tobirama and the Iwa shinobi from afar.

The latter, she realised, came closer and closer. Soon they were so close that she could hear their voices. Akari held her breath.

"Hey, I found a trail over here," one of them called to the others. "It's fresh!"

Her heart was beating fast in her chest. She was praying it was one of the fake trails.

It was, and they left in the direction Tobirama had run off to. She took a deep, relieved breath, but her muscles were still tense.

Out of nowhere, Tobirama appeared on the branch right in front of her, making her heart skip not one but two beats. She recoiled, her back hit the trunk, and for a moment, she thought she'd lose balance and fall.

Tobirama only raised a brow at her.

"You startled me," she tried to explain. She looked through the tree trunk with her Byakugan. Their enemies were still running off in a different direction, then she deactivated it. The Byakugan, showing her 360 degree vision, exhausted her brain and she already had a headache.

She climbed on Tobirama's back again. The fake trail would not hold them off eternally.

* * *

Tobirama had not yet found the way out of the forest when Akari spotted the Iwa shinobi again. They were back on track.

He stopped, snorted with frustration as his mind thought of a new solution. They couldn't possibly get caught by their pursuers. Fighting them off was too risky. They were both too exhausted and Akari too injured.

"We can't continue southwards," he eventually concluded. "Even if we somehow lose the ones chasing us here, they'll expect us to take the same route back to the Land of Stone. It's better to go eastwards for now."

"Eastwards?"

He nodded, and showed her the map he kept in his pocket. "The Land of Grass should be closer to Iwagakure than the Land of Stone. If we walk eastwards, we should eventually reach the border. They are our allies. We'll be safe there and they might not suspect our change in direction."

"But what about Hashirama-sensei and the others? What if they come looking for us?"

"Not even my brother would be foolish enough to walk into this country without any clue as to your location."

She frowned, but nodded while looking back at the Iwa shinobi. They were approaching fast. "Will you create a false trail again and we change direction?"

He shook his head. "Too risky. They mustn't realise our plan. We only have one try." He formed signs and created another Shadow Clone. It was the last one he'd be able to properly form. His chakra reserves were low, at least too low for more Shadow Clones.

"Give me your boot."

"Excuse me?" She frowned at the sudden demand.

"We'll have to bandage your foot anyway once we got the time. You don't need it."

Akari reluctantly sat down. She barely managed to take it off due to all the swelling. Maybe it was better she got rid of it now. The clone took it, as well as a torn piece of fabric he ripped off her clothes without asking. Akari complained about the clone's rudeness. But Tobirama saw no problem.

He knew it was a good thing they went to the Land of Grass now. The tunnels leading to the south could not be too far away, yet he wasn't even sure whether he'd have enough chakra left to teleport both Akari and himself back to the Land of Stone, even if they did somehow manage to reach the tunnels despite the shinobi that were close on their heels.

Tobirama's clone continued southwards, while Akari and Tobirama slowed down and made sure they left not a single trail behind that would suggest that they had changed their course.

It was the last plan they had.

* * *

Tobirama and Akari were not pursued anymore until nightfall. It made them hopeful that they would make it to the Land of Grass the following day, without any incidents. But at the same time, the upcoming night left them both nervous. Even long before the sun started to set, they searched for a shelter for the night.

They found a rock shelter, a small cave that was no more than a hole in a hillside they both barely fit into while sitting upright. But shelter was shelter, and it was better than staying out in the open. So they sat down next to each other, leaning against the stone wall behind them, and watched the world around them turn dark.

"Can't you use Earth Jutsu? Hashirama-sensei often created a shelter using jutsu," Akari eventually asked.

He didn't look at her when answering, "I've fought a bijuu and a kage yesterday. Then I left to the Land of Earth. My chakra reserves are not infinite."

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Right, I'm sorry." She glanced at him. He had his arms crossed and was staring ahead into the growing darkness. "I have to thank you," she said next. "You put yourself in danger to save me from Iwagakure. I am deeply grateful for that." She slightly nodded her head instead of bowing.

Tobirama sighed. "It's fine."

The silence that followed felt awkward to Akari. Uncomfortable. She could clearly see that he wanted to be somewhere else. It was nothing she could blame him for. She too wished to be back in Konoha. Or any other place that was not deep into enemy territory. But Tobirama never even looked at her. She wasn't used to such behaviour. It was rude.

"You should go to sleep. I will keep watch," she said nicely. She owed him, so she was set on staying friendly and polite.

Tobirama didn't react, as though he hadn't even heard her. There was a rustle somewhere in the forest around them. An animal screeched, another hissed.

Akari checked the area with her Byakugan, just to be safe.

"I have some caffeine pills left. I can stay awake. Two pairs of eyes and ears are safer."

The wind that blew past their little shelter was hash and chilly. They were still far in the mountains, and the temperature was much colder than what Akari was used to. She huddled up more, hoping to profit from her own body warmth. Another short glance at Tobirama made her wonder whether he was not cold at all.

The silence continued. And Akari couldn't help but think that he neither trusted nor liked her much. Tobirama had never been the nicest of all people, but now that they were stuck in the Land of Earth together, she wished that the air between them was less tense.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" Akari immediately clasped her hands in front of her mouth, regretting that she had actually spoken those words aloud. "I'm sorry. That was an inappropriate question. Please forget I asked."

He turned his head to her for the first time. "I barely have any personal feelings towards you. So how did you come to the conclusion?"

Akari was now the one who didn't look at him. They were close enough to each other that the moonlight offered sufficient visibility. "You told Hashirama-sensei to not take me with him on this mission," she eventually said. "Why?"

"How do you know that?"

She fell quiet for a moment. "I read it on your lips."

"You spied on me."

"I just happened to look in your direction while the two of you were speaking. If a person was speaking right next to me, I would not be eavesdropping just because I am not covering my ears."

Tobirama stayed quiet again.

"Forget it," she snapped, forgetting her manners for a moment.

"I don't dislike you," he calmly said. "It's more that… you are problematic. Just like this whole situation here is problematic."

"Problematic?" His words offended her. She couldn't think of anything she had done wrong, anything that would make her qualify as problematic.

"It's not really you, as a person. It's who you are. You are just like Inori – heiress to a noble clan, the Hyuuga clan to be precise. That, and the fact that I am sitting here with you in the middle of the Land of Earth is problematic."

Their eyes met for the first time as they both decided to look at the other. Akari's were full of bewilderment. So he quickly turned away and added, "It's not that I dislike the Hyuuga. I very much appreciate your clan being part of Konoha. But it's hard to miss that you are your clan's light. Your father's light." He stared ahead into the forest again. It was pitch black now. "I have seen what people are capable of when faced with darkness. I've seen the rage on Madara's face when I killed Izuna."

Akari listened attentively. She didn't quite understand yet.

"I believe that if Madara were to lose Inori, he'd break. And I believe that if you died on this mission, your father would not be able to forgive Hashirama or our village. That's what I find problematic."

She eyed him, carefully considering his words. "Would you not feel the same way about your brother's death?"

"I probably would. But I like to believe that I'd be able to move on."

Akari didn't say another word, but that didn't mean she agreed. Arguing with Tobirama was not something she intended on doing. She leaned against the wall next to her, away from the Senju.

The silence felt uncomfortable to her again. She wasn't a chatty person, but their last conversation now hung over them like those thick clouds covering the mountain tops of the Land of Earth. All she wanted was to be on good terms with the man who walked half across the country to save her.

"You should really rest," she said, changing the subject. She spoke in a polite manner again, pretending they did not just have that conversation. "It would be problematic should we encounter enemies tomorrow and you are exhausted and out of chakra."

He didn't answer.

"I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I'm pretty much the best night watch you could wish for. Any living being basically glows at night. My eyes will protect us."

"Fine," he finally said. "Wake me in a few hours. We'll take turns."

He closed his eyes. Akari stayed awake. At least now the silence felt more comfortable again. All they had to do was make it through the night, and then make it across the borders the next day.

Tobirama awoke every time there was the slightest sound in the forest around them. Akari could tell from his breathing. She never said anything, but waited for him to go back to sleep. One time, he asked whether it was his turn to keep watch yet. Akari denied it. The man was already carrying her across the country. Staying awake at night was the least she could do. Her head and foot still hurt, and the cold sat deep in her bones, shaking her. But at least it kept her awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> I'm a bit torn between 3k to 4k chapters and 7k to 8k chapters currently. I thought quite a lot about splitting this chapter in two and uploading the first part earlier. But I didn't want to end yet another chapter without Akari and Tobirama even talking haha. But if you guys have any preference concerning 3-4k chapters that are uploaded a bit quicker or 7-8k chapters that take a bit longer, feel free to let me know for next time. :)
> 
> Also, I really didn't want Akari to be one of those damsels in distress. She's Hashirama's student after all, so I wanted her to at least try and get out of the whole kidnapping situation herself. But yeah, I guess everyone could use a bit of help in her situation. And I was really looking forward to sending them on a little journey together :D
> 
> Edit: I also just realised weeks after posting this that my autocorrect feature apparently likes changing "of the", "to the" etc. to "to be". Sorry about that. :(


	8. To the Land of Grass

When the first sun rays touched the mountains around Tobirama and Akari, the two were already awake, and had been for a few hours. Tobirama had eventually figured that the night felt too long, and that Akari didn't plan to give the night's watch over to him. It was thought he didn't appreciate. So when he finally noticed, he informed her that he would stay awake, and that she should rest as well.

Akari had tried, but the animals in the woods around them were awake as well, and did not seem to care to hide their presence from them. Bushes rustled, branches cracked. And Akari felt too tense to sleep. The cold didn't help.

She was almost relieved when Tobirama finally got up and readied himself to continue their journey east with the first rays of sunlight.

He took the time to stretch thoroughly, never speaking a word, before offering his back again.

Accepting to be carried felt even harder for Akari this time around. The day before, her mind had been somewhat clouded by the fall and injury, and the fact that the Iwa shinobi chased them had filled her body with adrenaline.

But Akari had spent the night sitting, reflecting, and was now more aware than ever that she did not like being carried across the country by Tobirama Senju. It all felt surreal. And it felt wrong.

She put weight on her foot again to test the waters. Instantaneously, a sharp pain spread through her legs all the way up to her back. The foot was wrapped in bandages, but she could still tell that it was all swollen. And it hurt even more than the day before.

Tobirama was getting impatient again, so she quietly climbed on his back.

This time, there was the awareness that their bodies touched, that they were both intimately close. Being carried by Hashirama when shed' been injured had never made her feel uncomfortable or triggered the same kind of awareness.

His hair tickled her cheek and she had to turn her head away from his to not feel the urge to jump off in protest.

* * *

Tobirama was quiet, and only spoke when he asked her to scan the area with her Byakugan. Maybe it was for the best. There really wasn't anything for them to talk about, and neither was it the right place and time for chatting.

They were not out of danger yet, despite being quite sure that there was no one tracking them anymore. They were still in enemy territory. So they both kept their eyes and ears open. No one could see them.

Akari could feel his warmth through the fabric of their clothes. But at least that meant that half her body was not helplessly exposed to the harsh mountain winds. Most of her body was chilled to the bone from last night.

But while her body longed for more warmth, more contact, her brain had different thoughts. She felt like a burden, a burden that was much bigger than the eight stone Tobirama had to carry on his back. It was a feeling she despised, yet there was not much she was able to do except for wrapping her arms around his neck and letting him carry her.

They stayed away from roads and travelers. To their relief, the Iwa shinobi seemed completely gone. It was only them and the nature around them.

But Tobirama and Akari were both no people to put their guard down. Whenever a town lay ahead of them, they would take a little detour to make sure they'd stay away from trouble. Tobirama would peek at signposts every now and then to get a better idea of where exactly their journey had taken them. Other than that, they even stayed away from roads and trails.

They slowly made it out of the mountains. Everything seemed to become smaller around them. The trees, hills and even the clouds in the sky. But the area also became more open, with less woods to hide.

They walked over a wide field, away from the road, always eastbound. A few hills left and right were the only cover they had. Tobirama continued to never say a word. And Akari only ever spoke to give him information on towns and people nearby. But Akari's eyes couldn't see everything. And she couldn't keep her Byakugan active forever.

So eventually, a group of four shinobi spotted them as they came around a small hill, and walked directly into the two Konoha shinobi. They stopped in front of Tobirama and Akari, blocking their way.

"Who are you?" one demanded to know. "You are not Iwa shinobi."

Akari slowly slid down Tobirama's back and stood next to him. She could tell that he was ready to fight them from the way his muscles tensed.

One of them seemed to recognise Tobirama. His eyes were glued on the Senju as he started to whisper to his two teammates.

Tobirama Senju was not a man to let his opponents have the first strike, so he threw his kunai at them before the Iwa shinobi even had the opportunity to decide what to do.

One blink, and he appeared next to them, thrusting a second blade into the throat of the one closest.

Akari watched the fight that started right in front of her, unsure whether he expected her to participate or not. Something told her he didn't. And she could clearly see that he managed just fine without her, so Akari decided to stay back and observe.

The three Iwa shinobi could not be high ranking, she judged. Their moves were too slow, their jutsu too predictable. And soon, another of them fell.

She carefully noted each of their movements, her Byakugan active just in case. So it came as no surprise to her when one of the remaining two turned, away from Tobirama and towards her. The shinobi decided it was smarter to attack her instead of the Senju.

Akari was prepared. When he leaped at her, she took a step back to dodge. Chakra flowed to her hand as she was aiming for the chakra point on his heart.

Out of nowhere, Tobirama appeared in front of her, driving a kunai into the man's neck. It all happened so fast that Akari, just like the Iwa shinobi, had no time to react. And her palm connected with Tobirama's shoulder instead.

He gasped, more out of surprise than actual pain. They both stared at each other for just a second, confused at the other's actions.

The moment was enough for the last Iwa shinobi to launch one final and desperate attack. He threw himself at them, in a way that was again too predictable, too easy to dodge.

But when Akari now stepped backwards to dodge, Tobirama moved forward to attack.

They collided.

Tobirama was about to snarl an insult at her, but then pushed her out of the way instead to grab the Iwa shinobi's arm. Bones cracked. His hand moved to the shinobi's neck next. More bones broke. The body dropped to the ground, dead.

He turned around to Akari, a big frown on his face. She'd fallen, and was sitting on the ground, one hand wrapped around her ankle.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing he might have pushed her aside too harshly, with more force than had been needed.

She shook her head. Her eyes found his shoulder. "No, I'm sorry."

"Are you hurt?"

She pushed herself up and brushed some dirt off her clothes. "No more than before. What about you?"

He kneaded his shoulder with one hand, hoping to relax the sore muscle. "Getting chakra pumped into your muscle is not the best feeling, I'll have to admit that."

Akari had to smile. His answer had been much more amicable than she'd expected, and the little pout on his lips only added to it. She'd expected to be blamed for accidentally punching him, and bumping right into him right after. Or even for failing to spot the shinobi in the first place. But there was no hint of blame in his voice.

"I guess we need to work on our coordination a bit," she said, more to make light of the situation than to actually start a strategic meeting between them.

But Tobirama nodded. "I'm the one doing the fighting, so you should just keep yourself safe the next time."

"I did keep myself safe in case you didn't realise that. So maybe next time, you could just trust me that I am capable of defending myself." She didn't want to sound snarky or start a fight, so she made sure to speak with a smile.

He looked down at her foot, then at her again. His look only became more serious. "Your safety is why I'm here." He leaned over one of the bodies and started searching them for anything valuable. He took weapons and money. The food he eyed but then left for safety reasons. "Besides, I don't trust. I get things done."

Akari didn't help him search the bodies. His words bothered her too much. "So you are telling me _I_ have to be the one putting my trust in _you_ to save me? That does not sound like a good team dynamic. Do you also not trust Hiruzen and the others?" She still tried to sound nice and joking, despite feeling somewhat offended again.

"We are not a team."

Akari pressed her lips together as she did her best to recover the calmness in her. He saw her as a mission, a client. And that she couldn't tolerate.

"I'll get rid of the bodies," he informed her as he heaped up the first corpse onto his back.

She took a deep breath as she watched him drop the corpse into a nearby river that hid behind a small patch of trees. It was a good distance away and close to a road, but it was true they couldn't just let the dead bodies lie around in a field. Akari waited until he came back to pick up the second body, telling herself that it didn't matter what he thought of her. All that mattered was that they made it home.

Tobirama was back to acting like nothing had ever happened, either oblivious or indifferent towards the small frown that remained on her lips.

When he picked up the last body, she followed him to the water. He washed some of the blood off his hands and she did the same. The water was ice cold, but at least it felt refreshing on the skin.

Their clothes stayed a mess. Tobirama wore black beneath his blue armor, which hid all the dirt and blood stains well, but Akari had always liked bright colours. A stranger only had to glance at them in passing to get a good idea of what they'd been involved in.

Akari kept checking their surroundings with the Byakugan while they kneeled at the riverbank. She wasn't going to let anyone else slip her attention. The surroundings were quiet again, despite them now being close to a road.

When she was done inspecting their surroundings, her eyes fell on Tobirama. Her Byakugan she decided to keep activated as long as they were close to the road.

He noticed her staring at him, and asked, "Is something the matter?"

Akari looked away. There was something she'd been meaning to ask him all day long. After the conversation they had the night before. And now the question seemed even more relevant to her.

"Did you feel forced to come after me? I'm sure Hashirama-sensei asked you. But you should have turned around when you ran out of Hiraishin seals. Giving Iwa a pair of Byakugan certainly isn't an optimal outcome. Yet better than risking your life for it as well. So did you feel forced? Because of my father?"

He shook his hands in an attempt to dry them. "I did feel forced, yes," he admitted. "By your father? Partially. But also by my brother, Riku, Inori, your clan, and basically all of Konoha."

"You shouldn't have," she quietly said. "I am grateful. But you shouldn't have felt forced to risk your life like that. And I'm sorry for that."

He didn't say a word and stood up instead. "I'm here now. No use thinking about what I should and shouldn't have done."

Akari wanted to say more, but something moved behind her. She focused her eyes on it, and saw two men approach, walking right into their direction.

Tobirama was immediately alarmed. He stepped away from the water and grabbed the kunai he'd just cleaned.

"Wait a minute," she said, grabbing his wrist to stop him from running off. "They are only civilians. At least they don't look like shinobi."

"We can't let them see us," he returned, pulling away from her. "Any hint as to our location is a risk we cannot take."

"Let's just hide then," she tried again, her voice now no more than a whisper as the men kept getting closer.

He studied her face, like he was debating with himself whether to value her opinion or not. The area around them was fairly open despite the few trees that seemed to grow along the river. Soon, they would make eye contact.

Tobirama picked her up and with a quick jump, they were on top of one of the bigger trees, far up. He stood next to her, pressing his body towards the tree trunk with her in between. His hands he kept left and right of her, almost like he was trying to make sure she wouldn't fall. Or move at all.

Akari turned her head away from his chest. Her first impulse was to tell him off. But his body was still tense, much more than her own, and his eyes focused on the two men who walked down the road beneath them. He barely seemed to realise she was there. Close to him. His attention he gave fully to the chatting strangers.

He only started to relax again when the men were long gone, and their voices could not be heard anymore.

Akari still leaned against the tree trunk as much as possible. She glanced at the man next to her, but immediately turned away again as she realized he was still too close for comfort.

"What's wrong?" he asked, having caught the slight blush on her face. It was a bodily reaction he could not make any sense of.

"Nothing. It's just… you smell very sweaty."

He removed the hands from her sides and straightened himself, smelling his shoulder. His lower lip almost formed into another pout. "I've been trying to get you back to Konoha for two days now, what do you expect?" he snarled at her. "That I brought spare clothes?"

Akari didn't expect anything. She knew she hardly smelled better. She simply didn't want a man who was almost a stranger to her so close. It irritated her.

She flinched when he suddenly picked her up again and landed on the ground with her. She had to listen to another comment about him hoping he did not smell too bad for her to let herself get carried across the country before they continued their journey to the Land of Grass.

* * *

Akari kept her Byakugan active for most of the time. She didn't want to miss enemy shinobi again, not now that they moved closer and closer towards the borders to the Land of Grass.

And finally, after hours of more walking and running, they reached an immense ravine that split the land in two. Akari checked the area ahead of them before they stepped up to the cliffside.

The ravine marked the border between Land of Earth and Land of Grass, and they thus expected guard posts stationed along it. But Akari and Tobirama were far off the official roads. There was only silent nature nearby.

"How are we supposed to cross this?" she asked, trying to estimate the width. It was such an immense crack in the earth that it barely looked natural anymore. This was more than just a ravine. It was a tear in the world, like a higher being had tried to pull the lands apart with some supernatural force.

Shinobi could jump far, and also hold onto walls using chakra once they made contact, yet she wasn't exactly sure whether she would risk this one. Especially not if Tobirama planned on crossing with her on his back.

"There is only one bridge connecting the Land of Stone to the Land of Grass, and it's heavily guarded. So I'm afraid we'll have to cross here."

Akari swallowed. "Yes, but how?"

He slowly stepped up to the edge. She unconsciously held onto him tighter as her eyes failed to spot the ground.

"Get down for a moment," he said, backing off the edge again before letting go of her. He went back to the edge alone, his last Hiraishin kunai in one hand. He spun it, and the kunai whizzed through the air. For a moment, Akari feared that not even the blade could make it all the way across and would be lost somewhere in between Earth and Grass. But the blade reached the other side effortless and got stuck in a tree.

"Ready?" He waited for her to nod before taking her onto his back again.

In all the years Akari had been Hashirama's student, she'd seen the Hiraishin used several times, but she'd not once experienced it herself.

She felt Tobirama's chakra slowly engulf her. It was a subtle sensation, cool on the skin. The Hiraishin would teleport whatever Tobirama cloaked in his chakra, Akari was aware. And then, it was a single blink and she found herself on the other side of the ravine.

Akari blinked again, and again, wondering how she could have completely missed the moment. They softly landed next to the Hiraishin kunai.

"We are officially on allied grounds again," Tobirama casually said while grabbing the kunai. To him, this had been nothing special.

Akari knew she was supposed to feel relieved, but she was too flabbergasted by the fact that a jutsu such as the Hiraishin existed. It almost felt like part of reality had been cut away. Time and space had been disrupted. She couldn't help but wonder how a person came up with such an ability.

* * *

It didn't take long until they reached wide green plains, filled with rice fields. The Land of Grass was much more open than the Land of Stone. There were less mountains, less woods to hide in.

Akari asked whether she should keep scouting with her Byakugan, but Tobirama told her it wasn't necessary. The Land of Grass was Konoha's ally, their main provider of rice and other goods. Here, they could relax for a bit. Or at least so they thought.

They continued to go inlands to get some distance between themselves and the Land of Earth. But eventually, Tobirama stopped at the side of the road.

A tree trunk had been made into a small bench and there were some signposts nearby pointing towards the next towns. That's where Tobirama let her down and explained he had to quickly relieve himself.

He handed her the water bottle before turning away from her to unbutton his trousers.

Akari started screaming, and instantly dropped the bottle to cover her eyes with both hands.

"Go somewhere private!" she scolded.

He groaned. He could tell what her problem was, but he couldn't really comprehend it. Not far away was a grove, so he decided to go there instead to spare himself the complains.

Akari threw the water bottle back at him, telling him to fill it up again at the stream that ran through there.

"You know, I told you that there was no need to check the area with the Byakugan anymore," he said, knowing she had discovered the stream earlier when searching for danger.

"Are you not rather safe than sorry?"

"I am, but you look more like a speaking corpse than an actual living being. Take a break."

He left the Hiraishin kunai with her and walked off.

Akari stretched and sat down on the bench. Her eyes did feel heavy but rubbing them barely helped. Somehow, she felt a lot more exhausted than she had anticipated. The sun would set soon, and she had kept her Byakugan active for most of the day. It was the first time she felt she could at least partially relax now that they were in the Land of Grass.

Having a moment away from Tobirama felt relieving. She appreciated all that he was doing for her. The man had risked his own life for her and that she felt grateful for. But the man had also basically been glued to her for more than 24 hours now. It was good to have a moment of privacy.

In the distance, the rhythmic padding of hoofbeats was audible. It came closer quickly, sending Akari's senses into high alert again. She knew those were likely no enemies, yet she couldn't help ducking behind her tree trunk bench to avoid being spotted.

The Byakugan showed her the riders. They were samurai, a big group of ten. They posed no harm and seemed to be riding past her. Still Akari decided to lay low.

A sudden hunch overcame her as she lay there, tense, waiting for the riders to pass. She felt watched. She could feel no one's presence nearby, could see no one, yet something prompted her to search the area once more, just like she had done all day long already. Just to be safe.

She looked around, avoiding only the direction in which Tobirama had left. But the area around them was fairly open, the field of vision great even without the Byakugan. It was all clear. The little forest Tobirama had vanished in was the only place to hide.

She could not find anything suspicious.

Something made Akari check the ground, the earth they had walked on. And suddenly there it was, a chakra system, hidden in the earth.

Akari swallowed. There was only one explanation why a live person would be hiding underground. It had to be an Iwa shinobi. And if there was one, there had to be more.

She jumped up, but then remembered to remain calm. If this person was watching her somehow, she did not want to alert them. Her hand slowly reached for the Hiraishin dagger, before she turned towards the forest and started walking towards it, towards Tobirama. Slow and collected.

Her eyes now searched for Tobirama. She quickly found him, him and someone else. She couldn't tell who the second person was. All she could see was a second chakra system close to Tobirama. Something told her this stranger was not a friend. But somehow, Tobirama seemed completely unaware of their presence, despite this person standing right next to him.

She broke into a run. Each step sent a sharp pain through her whole body.

"Tobirama!" she yelled as loud as possible. He turned to her, but was still too far away for them to see each other without a Byakugan. Trees blocked their view.

"Watch out!" she cried past them. But all it did was for the stranger to decide it was now or never. He raised his hand, ready to strike. From the motion of his hand, she could tell he was likely holding a blade. But she couldn't see it. And neither could Tobirama.

Akari stopped as she realised that she wouldn't make it in time, that this stranger would stab Tobirama any second.

Her mind raced over all the jutsu she could possibly use to get him to move or to avert the attack. But it would all take too long. She was too far.

So she screamed out the one word she prayed would teleport Tobirama right out of the immediate danger:

"Help!"

In less than a second, Tobirama appeared next to her. His eyes fell on Akari, then quickly scanned the area around them.

"What happened?" he asked when he could not detect any immediate danger.

"You didn't notice?" she blurted out, but there was a drop of relief in her, somewhere in between the ocean of worries that swamped her.

Her eyes showed her that both shinobi she had spotted approached. She grabbed a kunai, and Tobirama too was ready to fight, despite still being confused as to what exactly she was seeing that he wasn't.

A shinobi became visible right in front of them. Most of his body was wrapped in bandages, all except for eyes and nose. Yet Tobirama and Akari immediately recognised him. They recognised his ability. And their hearts skipped a beat at the sight of the Iwa shinobi.

"Not good," Tobirama said to Akari as he positioned himself in front of her. His eyes stayed on the Iwa shinobi. "This is the Tsuchikage's advisor. The Non-Person Muu. I can't believe we are running into him here."

The second shinobi Akari had spotted appeared next to Muu. "I apologise, sensei. I didn't think I'd be in range for her to sense me."

"Don't blame yourself, Onoki. This situation is not our fault to begin with," the man spoke calmly. He seemed unimpressed to be standing in front of Tobirama Senju. "At least the both of us managed to obtain a Sharingan."

"What are you talking about?" Akari asked, stepping next to Tobirama again.

Even though his mouth was covered, they could still tell he was smirking at them. "I could tell you all I know on our way back to Iwagakure. You realise we mean you no harm, at least not if you join us willingly, Lady Akari?"

She wanted to say more, ask again about the Sharingan, but Tobirama held her back.

"Don't listen to him," he said to her in a low voice. He then turned to Muu, and in a loud and confident voice said, "This is the Land of Grass, an ally of the Land of Fire. What is your reason for setting foot on this land?"

"Oh, actually we wanted to ask you the same. We saw you cross our border to the Land of Grass."

"Don't act all oblivious. You abducted one of our shinobi. The Hokage will not be pleased to hear of your actions here."

"You invaded the Land of Stone first. We were simply defending ourselves. And made sure we got a compensation for the damage you Konoha shinobi caused there. So, Lady Akari, would you like to join us? We might even forgive Tobirama Senju for invading our country and killing our shinobi."

Akari's eyes searched Tobirama's. She surely wasn't the type of person to just surrender. But she could tell that Tobirama was nervous. More than nervous even. Muu was one of the most feared shinobi in all of the Five Elemental Nations. Some even called him the strongest shinobi alive, at least if one did not count those who were Jinchuuriki.

And Akari surely wasn't going to get Tobirama killed because of her.

The Senju pressed his Hiraishin kunai into her hands again. He didn't look at her. His eyes were glued onto Muu. "We'll have to run somehow. We cannot fight both of them."

"I'll take that as a no," Muu said and went invisible again.

Onoki left the fight by levitating up above the trees, out of reach.

"Left!" Akari yelled, then pulled Tobirama away from an attack. He was close to her, so quickly she whispered, "How are we supposed to run? They can fly."

"I don't know yet," he admitted.

"Then let me fight him," Akari said.

"What?" It was the first time he turned to her again, with a look on his face suggesting she was crazy. "You cannot fight this guy. He is dangerous. Too dangerous."

"I have the one perfect counter to his invisibility. Do you have a better plan? It's not like we can just run from them, and neither can you just fight someone you don't see."

Onoki circled around them in the air. The trees gave them cover on the one hand, but also gave him cover in return. Him and Muu both threw shuriken from different angles at the same time. Akari threw Tobirama's kunai to safety, yelling at him to use the Hiraishin.

A moment later, they were at a different location, behind Muu. Akari had planned on this. She broke free from Tobirama's grasp and charged at the chakra system in front of her.

But Muu was not only invisible. He was fast too, and Akari quickly had to realise she would not be able to hit him.

Muu became senseable for Tobirama once he chose to use a jutsu. It was an earth one, aiming to catch Akari. They still tried to take her alive.

Tobirama saw his opportunity to go for an attack, but while Akari managed to dodge Muu's stone cage that emerged from the ground, the jutsu drove her straight into another one created by Onoki.

It showed that student and teacher were completely in sync with one another.

Instead of attacking, Tobirama used a defensive jutsu to cover Akari. "Break the stone!" he yelled at her, knowing he did not have the time to free her himself. The stone Iwa shinobi could create was awfully hard.

Without Akari, Tobirama had no idea again where Muu was. He tried to listen for steps, or even the slightest bit of sound, but there was none. So Tobirama preemptively threw a fire jutsu into one direction and quickly turned around, figuring that Muu would have dodged into that direction.

He spit a wave of water next, and when he spotted an invisible obstacle that the water had to find its way around, he quickly turned the water to ice, hoping to catch him that way. But Muu was already gone again.

Spikes shot out of the ground beneath Tobirama, and he too had to retreat to dodge. Behind him, a tree had caught fire from the jutsu he had used.

Akari finally managed to break through the stone wall that kept her captive and hurried towards Tobirama. He saw how she stopped halfway to duck away from an attack he could not see.

Tobirama clenched his teeth, utterly unhappy with the whole situation. But he did have an idea. A long shot, but they had to try.

He threw his kunai, as far away as possible, then jumped to Akari to grab her hand. She complained, feeling too restricted in her movements with him holding onto her. But a second later, they were in a different part of the forest yet again.

"Set the trees on fire," he told her.

"What?" Akari looked around, trying to make sense of where they were again.

"Do it!" he yelled, already spitting fire jutsu around. More and more trees caught fire, and more and more smoke arose around them. Tobirama could see even less with all the smoke, but that didn't matter. He had Akari who saw just fine.

"They are coming!" she informed him. Tobirama gave her the kunai, and Akari made sure to throw it into the opposite direction of their enemies.

Tobirama grabbed her hand again. His chakra engulfed her once more before teleporting.

They set more trees on fire, and repeated the whole thing each time Muu and Onoki were coming close. The distances they travelled were fairly small each time and the trees around them gave them at least a bit of cover to not be spotted immediately. Yet Tobirama knew his chakra reserves were not infinite.

But finally, Akari saw something.

"Someone's coming," she informed Tobirama, stopping what she was doing.

"Iwa?

"No, samurai."

Tobirama nodded, almost like he had expected this to happen. "Where?"

She threw the kunai, and one last time they ended up somewhere else, out of the forest in the open.

"This way!" She pointed down the field.

Tobirama signaled her to jump on his back, and without hesitating, she did. Together they raced towards the group of samurai that was approaching.

Muu and Onoki were right behind them. They caught up just as Tobirama and Akari reached the armored warriors.

Dust whirled through the air as the samurai pulled their horses to a halt.

"State your business," the one leading them demanded. His armor was shining, not a scratch could be found. It was embroidered with golden threads and the helmet held a small figurine of an ape with four tails. With a short nod, he sent two of his men towards the fire.

"We are shinobi from the Land of Fire," Tobirama quickly explained. "These two following us are from Iwagakure. They are after us, attacking us on land of our allies."

The samurai almost looked like a statue himself the way he was sitting on his horse, barely moving at all. But his eyes did switch to Muu and Onoki.

"You two, show me your permit to enter our lands," he told the Iwa shinobi.

Muu remained calm, but took a step backwards. He bowed to the man, then simply turned around and left. Onoki hesitated, confused at the sudden surrender, but silently followed his teacher.

Akari sighed in relief. Her heart was still beating fast from adrenalin.

The samurai's face was still made of stone. "And you two, we ask that you go back to your country as well. We don't want to get involved in whatever is going on between Fire and Earth."

"We were on our way," Tobirama said, sounding neither polite nor impolite.

Akari bowed and thanked the man, and bowed again. She then offered to help extinguish the forest fire they had caused. Tobirama reluctantly helped, not really thinking they had the time for this. But with a water jutsu from both Tobirama and Akari, the fire was gone faster than it had broken out.

The samurai thank them by telling them of a village not too far away that was ruled by a shinobi clan. If they were looking for shelter for the upcoming night, he recommended going there. Akari thanked him again and bowed, and the samurai and his people continued their journey.

She then looked at Tobirama, stared almost, until he threw a sharp glance back at her.

"He saved us," she said. "Do you not appreciate what he did?"

He frowned. "I do."

"You didn't even thank them."

His frown deepened. "I would have, but then you thanked them enough for both of us."

Akari couldn't agree. After all, they were samurai, they honoured respect and politeness. One couldn't thank them enough. But she didn't tell him her opinion. She couldn't lecture the Hokage's advisor, the man who came to save her, who was many years older than her.

Relief that they had survived yet another encounter with Iwa shinobi took over. That and the worry they might attack again now that the samurai were gone. So Tobirama and her agreed it was best to make it to the shinobi village quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter finished for like 2 weeks now EXCEPT for the fighting scenes. I feel especially the last one could have been super epic, but unfortunately, epic fighting scenes and me don't like each other. Oh well, good thing that -spoiler- there might not be too many of those in the next few chapters :)
> 
> Also, don't think I mentioned this in this fic yet, but I gave Tobirama Ice Release. I don't really like having the combined nature transformation be hereditary, so in my fics they can be acquired by mastering two elements and then simply... combining them. Thought ice would fit him pretty well honestly. But then again, I suck at writing fighting scenes so... we won't get to see a lot of ice jutsu anyway haha. But there IS a bit of background story to the ice relase in the next chapters.
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this one!


	9. In Between Rice Fields

They reached the village before sunset. It was a small village, not more than 40 houses, situated on top of a little hill. It was surrounded by rice fields on every side that looked like green plains extending eternally. Farmers were still working on the fields left and right of them as they followed the only road that led to the village.

The calling and chatting of the workers was a constant noise in the background. It made the place feel lively, and peaceful. They had finally left the harsh and silent mountains behind them and were among people again, normal workers who minded their own business. Some of them watched the two strangers that were Akari and Tobirama approach their village, but no one came to speak with them.

"Could you let me down? I'd like to walk," Akari asked long before they reached the entrance gates.

"Why?" Tobirama didn't understand, but also didn't stop her from sliding down his back to stand on her own.

"All these people here… they'll get the wrong impression."

He still didn't understand. "What impression exactly? We don't know any of these people, and neither will we likely ever meet them again. So why care?"

"It's just not proper," she kept insisting. "I can walk, so I'll walk."

He wasn't going to argue, so he let her have it her way.

He kept on walking and entered the village through the small wooden gate that stood wide open. Akari limped after him. He didn't slow down his usual pace or make sure she was able to keep up. If she claimed she could walk, then he would treat her like someone who could walk.

Security was low in the village. There was no wall, only a small wooden fence, and no guards stopped them from entering. It was no village like Konoha, but one of the old ones, a clan's village. Tobirama and Akari soon found out that it was ruled by the Houzuki clan, a minor clan neither of them had heard before.

Before the founding of the Hidden Villages, most clans lived in their own villages. Many allowed civilians to stay for their labour and goods. In return, the shinobi offered them safety and living space. In a way, the villages weren't too different from the Hidden villages. Just smaller, less politically involved. The Houzuki's village consisted mostly of rice farmers.

A shinobi eventually spotted Akari and Tobirama, and approached them to ask for their intentions. They explained their situation, and were taken to the clan's head, residing in the biggest house at the top of the small hill the village was built around. It was tiny compared to any of the houses the clans in Konoha resided in, yet it seemed immense while towering over the houses of the farmers.

The clan's head was a fairly young man. Older than Akari, but younger than Tobirama. He was clearly nervous as he welcomed them. Senju and Hyuuga were names that were known all throughout the Land of Fire and farther. Yet he was hesitant about allowing potential danger inside his village.

Tobirama let Akari do the talking. Usually he left that part to his brother, but Akari clearly knew what she was doing as well. While Hashirama charmed people with candour and simple humour, Akari had a more systematic approach, one she clearly hadn't learned from his brother.

Tobirama found himself analysing her strategy as she spoke. He knew a lot about persuasion techniques and proper ways of speaking. He had read books on it. Books written by smart and charismatic leaders. But actually using any of what he'd learned was too big of a bother. And he had found out that his brother, who never read a single book on any even remotely related subject, was much more successful in flattering people anyways.

Akari started the conversation by relating to all the doubts the shinobi opposite of them had. She acknowledged his fears, said she prayed the Iwa shinobi would not attack them again, and not in the village with all those innocent civilians. She made his fear her own.

She then talked about the peace between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire, the strong alliance. Akari's words were full of admiration for the good relationship between their countries and their future together. Tobirama could only roll his eyes.

Yet it seemed to work on the Houzuki clan heir and he made sure they understood that his clan very much _wanted_ to help them. Because while the Houzuki clan had not moved to the Hidden village yet, they were still very loyal to their daimyo. And their daimyo was loyal to the Land of Fire. But he couldn't help. He didn't have the resources.

"I understand you are worried about your people," she said. "I would be too. It shows what a good leader you are to them. And we don't expect anything from you. But if we could just spend the night here, it would help us immensely."

Akari was a small person. One who, despite having blood on her dress from slitting someone's throat, barely looked like a threat to anyone.

I when she mentioned her capture again, and told him how scared she had been, how she couldn't sleep at night out in the forest, fearing someone would come for her again, the man broke.

"I'll make sure my brother, the Hokage, will learn that you allowed us to stay in your village," Tobirama added, knowing well enough it was the last push the clan heir needed. And Tobirama surely wanted to spend the night in a bed and not on a bench somewhere along the road.

It worked, and the man agreed that they may stay in his village. Under one condition. "I'm afraid we cannot treat you as refugees. Our village does not have the resources to get involved in whatever is going on between you and Iwagakure. We'd like to remain neutral for now. So you will stay here as guests."

Tobirama was content with how their talk turned out. Whether they had the support of the town's shinobi or not barely made a difference to him.

Akari bowed, and thanked the man, and Tobirama added an appreciative nod himself.

"Are you really sure staying here is a good idea?" she asked on their way outside, once they were far enough away from any of the Houzuki shinobi. "From what he said, I doubt any of the people here would be capable of helping us should Iwa attack again. And we really shouldn't pull any innocent people into this."

"Those samurai we met hardly posed an obstacle to Muu either. He could have killed them all right there and then. The only reason he chose to retreat was the consequences killing them involved. And the same holds true for attacking this village. They want your eyes, but are they prepared to risk national peace for them? I doubt it."

"I hope you are right."

"Besides, we are not responsible for the people here. The clan head is. And he just allowed us to stay." Tobirama was already busy counting his money as he spoke. "We might be able to buy a small room and a bit of food."

Akari remained quiet and concerned as she followed him down the road, looking for a place to spend the night. The sun was slowly setting, and more and more farmers returned from the fields.

The town was lively. And every single person they passed fell silent and stared at them with suspicion. It barely bothered Tobirama, but it bothered Akari all the more.

* * *

They found a small ryoukan that had a vacant room they could afford. The woman showing them their room wrinkled her nose at the dirty armor Tobirama was wearing and the stains on Akari's dresses. The latter were visible despite Akari's best efforts to hide them with hands and arms.

But money was money, so the woman quickly left them alone after explaining that the bathhouse was outside in the backyard. But the look on her face told them she hoped they wouldn't use it.

Tobirama entered the small tatami room, sat down on the floor, sighed, and opened his map to study their location.

He glanced over to Akari again when he realised she was still standing in the door frame. When she noticed his glance, she quickly sat down at the opposite site of the room, as far away as possible.

Tobirama looked back at his map, but his thoughts stayed with Akari for a moment longer, wondering whether she had expected him to pay for two separate rooms. Obviously that wouldn't have been affordable, even if he had considered it. Which he never had.

"We should make it back to the Land of Fire tomorrow. Konoha we should reach the day after," he said.

She only nodded.

He counted their money again. "We have enough left for a small dinner and maybe a salve for your foot. I'd offer to go out and buy everything we need, but after today's events, I'd rather not leave you alone. Even with my Hiraishin kunai."

"I'll come with you. My foot doesn't hurt much, so I can walk."

He could only guess that she was lying. There was no way her foot did not hurt.

Her eyes fell on the yukata that lay ready and neatly folded on the tatami mats. "Would you mind if I took a bath before we go? People keep staring at us."

Tobirama nodded and got up. "Of course. I'll come with you," he naturally said.

It took a while until he realised why she was staring at him with eyes full of irritation and repulsion.

"I mean, I'll wait outside. Just in case anything should happen. Or have a bath myself depending on the location."

Her face was red as she stared at the yukata. For a moment he thought she might want to change, but then she grabbed it and quickly left the room.

Tobirama couldn't help but sigh as he grabbed a yukata too and followed her. He wondered whether this was what Hashirama had to put up with all the time. There was a weird tension between them. One he couldn't imagine existed between her and his brother as well. But why he couldn't tell. Maybe it was because they were strangers.

Tobirama had grown up among brothers, zero sisters. And somehow the team of students he had taken on turned out to be three boys as well. Maybe he was doing something wrong, he wondered. He probably was. Maybe there were differences between male and female students he hadn't been aware of, at least not consciously.

He followed her down the hallway, then out of the building into the backyard. Outside they found themselves in a carefully arranged garden, with a small wooden house in the middle of it. There was a sign saying "bathhouse".

The garden was quiet, and the bathhouse seemed completely empty. Akari vanished behind the door that showed the sign for "woman" before Tobirama had a chance to say anything, explain their plan. He walked up to it, knocked. He didn't expect her to open the door, just wanted some attention before speaking. "I'll take a bath too. Wait here for me if you are done bathing first, alright?"

He heard a short affirmation and went into the men's bathroom. It was small, nothing special. Just a hand shower to wash oneself before bathing in a little tub enclosed by walls on three sides.

He suddenly remembered that they'd left the Hiraishin kunai in their room. He thought about going to get it, but didn't want to leave her. And the walls he could tell were thin enough. She was right there, next to him. He could even hear the running water. So he decided they didn't need the kunai. If anything were to happen to her, it would only take him a second to punch through the wall.

He took off his armor, and decided to try and relax in the hot water for at least a bit.

* * *

The water that ran down Akari's skin was red and brown when she rinsed her hair. She could feel the wound Tobirama had stitched up at the back of her head. It didn't hurt, which she decided was a good sign. Her foot, on the other hand, was still blue, and red, and black. And most of all, swollen.

It took her long until the water dripping down her hair stayed clear. But when she felt that she was clean enough, she stopped washing herself and limped to the bathtub. The water was green and smelled of herbs. Her skin burned as she immersed, but as soon as her whole body was engulfed with hot water, she could feel her muscles relax.

She sighed. The hot bath felt soothing in a way she had not anticipated. Her thoughts were a mess. She was scared of another attack from Iwa, she was embarrassed to share a room with Tobirama, she prayed to be back to Konoha soon. But most of all, Muu's words kept resounding in her head, and she feared them. She feared that something had happened to Inori.

But the water seemed to wash all these thoughts away, and at least for a short moment, she was able to silence them, and concentrate on the scent of the herbs and the tickling on her skin.

She stayed in the bathtub longer than she'd wanted. It hadn't been her intention to make Tobirama wait, but it took her awhile to be ready to step outside again, into the real world.

Just like she'd anticipated, Tobirama was already waiting for her outside. His armor was gone and he wore one of the ryoukan's yukata instead.

She politely apologised for taking too long, but he didn't seem to mind.

They took their clothes back to their room, and left again to buy food and a salve for her foot, which, according to Tobirama, looked worse than bad. Akari objected to spending money on a salve, but he only raised a brow at her and dropped the conversation.

She walked behind him, ignoring the sharp pain she felt whenever she put the slightest bit of weight on her ankle. It was dark outside, but most houses had lights burning, lighting up the little village around them. It felt homely, peaceful.

None of the people they passed stared at them anymore. They either went unnoticed or earned looks of curiosity on who these strangers were. It had Akari feel more comfortable again.

They'd barely left the ryoukan when Tobirama stopped.

"You really shouldn't walk on that foot. I told you, you are risking permanent damage. Is that worth it?"

Akari stayed quiet. She couldn't let him carry her in the village. Not while wearing a yukata anyway.

He frowned at her silence. "Are you always this unreasonable?"

Akari's lips parted as she couldn't quite believe her ears. She was not unreasonable, she protested to herself. If anything, she was the most reasonable among her teammates.

She held her words back, pressing her lips together as hard as she could. Until eventually, she couldn't anymore, and the words came spurting out with much more force than she would have liked.

"What's so wrong about caring for one's appearance? Working on your attitude would do you good too!" It felt relieving, and there was much more she wanted to throw at him. But then she reminded herself that he was still the Hokage's advisor, the second in command.

So instead, she apologised for her words.

His expression never changed. A short: "You apologise too much," was all he replied.

"How could someone possibly apologise too much? It's called having manners. Something you clearly lack." The last sentence made her want to apologise all over again, but she chose to simply shut her mouth instead.

"Just treat me like you treat my brother. There's no need to be overly polite with me."

What a weird thing to say, she thought. Hashirama was like her uncle. He'd been part of her childhood, and he had trained her for years. Tobirama was nothing like that, so she couldn't treat them the same.

"Hashirama would never call me unreasonable," she answered. The word still bothered her. She didn't want him to think she was unreasonable.

"He would if he saw you walking on that swollen foot. But I guess this is none of my concern." He turned away from her and walked off.

"Wait!" Akari impulsively called to stop him again. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say. But she couldn't let him walk off like that.

An idea sparked her head. A compromise. One that coloured her cheeks in a soft red.

"Could I… maybe hold onto your arm? That way I could walk, but put less weight on my foot."

She wasn't too sure whether asking such a thing of Tobirama was appropriate. But he'd made her ask that question.

Tobirama agreed like it was nothing, and offered her his arm without a second of hesitating.

The way he acted like this was nothing out of the ordinary felt reassuring to her. Surely her father would think twice about letting his daughter hold onto a man for support, even if her ankle was broken. But there were no second thoughts on Tobirama's face, so she tucked her arm into his and they walked down the road together. And told herself this was fine.

* * *

Akari was a bit glad to be back in the small room with little space. It was tiny, yet still allowed her to get further away from Tobirama than she'd been outside.

The hostess had seen them return, and now that their appearance looked somehow decent again, was polite enough again to bring a can of tea to their room, as a token of their hospitality.

Tobirama sat down on a cushion, poured himself a cup of tea, and unpacked their purchase. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. They had not eaten ever since they left the Land of Stone.

She sat down as well, slightly closer this time. Being near Tobirama did not feel as bad as he had anticipated. She thought there would be something inappropriate between them, something she could only fight off by staying away from him. But their walk had shown her she'd been wrong. Because Tobirama Senju barely ever looked at her. He treated her presence as the most normal thing on earth. So Akari decided to do the same as long as they were on their way back to Konoha.

He took the salve and fresh bandages they bought, and offered to take care of her ankle. Akari's first impulse was to decline, but instead, she simply stretched out her leg and let him bandage the ankle.

She watched him. Something about him was different. He looked different. She'd thought so before, but did not have the time to study his face like she did now.

It took her a while until she realised that his head armor was gone, and that she could not remember the last time she had seen him without it. Tobirama always walked around Konoha wrapped in protective gear.

Her eyes traced the lines of his face while he was focused on her foot. His features somehow fitted his personality, she thought. They were not as delicate as those of Minoru, but more defined, more mature. Around his eyes and on his forehead, she could find a few lines of worry, and she imagined that each of them had its own story to tell.

Strangely enough, she suddenly remembered the question Inori had asked her on their way to the Land of Wind. And Akari couldn't help but think that, maybe, she found Tobirama attractive. More so than Hiruzen, Kagami and Danzo, or even Minoru, who were all good-looking men. She'd be lying if she said they weren't. But there was something different about Tobirama. His hands were rough and big and the skin clearly needed more oils, yet the way he wrapped the bandage around her foot was soft and careful. It evoked a feeling in her that made her look away. But he was so close that his smell mixed with the herbs of the bath water stayed in her nose.

She slapped her hand into her face, telling herself this was nonsense. That it was Inori's fault for planting weird thoughts in her head. She rubbed her forehead, hoping these silly thoughts would disappear.

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked at the sudden change in her behaviour. He wrapped the last piece of bandage around her ankle.

Akari shook her head. "I'm fine. I just remembered something. But it's nothing." Her eyes searched the room for a change of topic. But there was barely anything there. And she didn't know what to talk about with Tobirama, didn't know what he liked or found interesting. She'd grown up right next to him, in Konoha, the Hyuuga compound, guided by his brother. Yet she couldn't think of a single topic to get to know him better.

When she looked back at Tobirama, she noticed the three red stripes on his face. They were much more prevalent now that the armor was gone.

"Those red stripes," she said, "what are they? A tattoo?"

"What else would they be?" he turned away from her again and back to his tea.

She caught herself being disappointed that the distance between them increased. So without thinking, she said, "I don't know. Paint?"

He scowled. "Do I look like someone painting their face every morning? Besides, I just took a bath."

She was disheartened at his cold reaction, and at yet another failed attempt at holding a conversation. She fell quiet, and leaned back against the wall in surrender. Maybe it was better this way, she figured. The thoughts that Inori had planted in her head now stuck deep, and no matter how often she averted her eyes, they always found their way back to him.

Tobirama sipped his tea. Eventually, he noticed the frown on Akari's brow. "These tattoos are a tradition of my mother's clan," he decided to share after all.

"They are?" Akari answered immediately, surprised that he chose to talk to her.

He nodded. "I got them after her death. Sort of as a… memento." He unpacked the food. He'd bought four hand-sized buns, all brown and crispy on the outside, but with different fillings. They were the leftovers of a bakery and were thus sold for half the price. "Which one do you want?"

"Oh, I'm not hungry. But thank you for the offer," she politely declined. She already felt bad enough that he paid for their room and the salve for her foot. She couldn't ask for more.

The look she had tried hard to avoid showed on his face again. He was judging her. He was displeased. Displeased with her politeness.

He took out two buns and threw the rest over to her. "Just eat, for goodness sake," he snarled at her.

"Thank you," she said. It was short and quick this time, with less excited intonation.

Quietly, she took a bite. She'd liked the air around him when he spoke of his mother's clan, and she still felt curious, so she decided to continue the conversation. "Do they hold a special meaning? The tattoos, I mean. You said they were part of a tradition."

He looked at her again, eyed her. It seemed he was considering something. "They simply represent belonging to the clan. The Inuzuka have them too."

Akari nodded. In a way, the Sun Seal was like that as well. It was a symbol of belonging. At least if one left out all the power it held over the wearer, and the fact that it was a symbol of belonging to the inferior part of the family.

"I'm sure you know that Hashirama is technically only my half-brother. We have different mothers. Most don't even know my mother's name or the clan she belonged to."

Akari blushed as she realised that she was one of those people. She had once heard that Tobirama and Hashirama did not share the same mother. But she never knew that his mother was no Senju. Somehow, she always assumed she'd been.

He smiled, which took her by surprised. "Don't worry about it. As I said, it's not something a lot of people know. And I do consider myself a Senju."

She took another bite, still ashamed she had never even considered the possibility of Tobirama only being half a Senju. He surely looked nothing like his brother, or any of the other Senju she knew. But marriage between clans was a concept that was close to alien to Akari.

"So what clan did your mother belong to?"

He seemed surprised, like he hadn't expected her to show any more interest.

"The Kouri clan. They are not exactly well known. A small clan from the Land of Frost."

"Oh, they must be proficient in ice release then. Is that how you learned your ice jutsu?"

He only answered with a short "maybe", then disrupted the conversation by getting up and preparing the bed. "Let's go to sleep. There is still a long journey ahead of us. I'll start with night's watch, just in case."

Akari was disappointed their conversation ended there. But it seemed that was all he was willing to share with her, so she let it go. "Don't worry. I'll hold watch. You sleep."

"We both need the sleep. You should feel exhausted after using the Byakugan that much. At least that's what you look like."

She tried a smile and a little joke. "I'll just sleep on your back tomorrow while you carry me across the country."

"I'm not letting you fool me two nights in a row. I'll take the first watch, and I'll wake you once it's time."

Akari reluctantly lay down. And Tobirama lit a candle to read some old book he'd found on the table of their room.

"Does the light bother you?" he asked when he noticed her glancing at him instead of sleeping.

"No, it's fine." Akari quickly turned around to face the wall instead.

Her eyes were heavy, and she really did feel exhausted. Yet she couldn't go to sleep. Her thoughts were racing. Sometimes, she did doze off, but awoke with her senses on high alert again, unsure how long she'd been asleep or whether she'd been asleep at all.

It always took her a moment to realise where she was, and to find Tobirama still sitting calmly next to the candle, reading his book.

One time, her mouth felt dry, so she sat up, rubbed her tired eyes.

Tobirama offered her some tea. It was cold, but exactly what she needed. So she crawled over to him and poured herself a cup.

"We can change shifts now," she said as she took a sip.

Tobirama didn't move, nor put the book away. "It's early still. I haven't even finished the book."

Her eyes fell on the title. _The Old Gods of the Lost Kingdoms._

He noticed, and showed her the cover. "It's a book about mythology of the Land of Grass and the gods they used to pray to. Not a bad read. I was planning on finishing it tonight."

"I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep though. So I might as well keep watch."

"Bad dreams?"

Akari stared into her cup. The tea looked black in the darkness. He looked at her, waiting for her to share whatever it was that bothered her. The candle's light flickered, but it bathed half the room in a comfortable warm light.

"Do you think Muu spoke the truth? When he said they had acquired a sharingan?" she eventually asked. "What if Inori is-"

He cut her off. "I don't know and it also doesn't matter. Our goal is to get back to Konoha."

His reaction took her aback. She'd wanted him to listen to her worries, and then discard them. Because maybe she could believe the words when they came from Tobirama. She wanted to believe that there was no need to worry.

"But if they took Inori then…" This time, she didn't finish her own sentence.

"Then what? Do you want to turn around to check, just in case?"

Her head dropped. "I'm just worried. I don't know what I should do if I come back to Konoha just to find Inori missing."

He sighed. Akari wondered whether she was a bother to him.

"You trust my brother, don't you?" His voice was as soft as Akari thought it could get. Which was not a lot on her scale, but she noted the effort. So she nodded. "My brother would not let anything happen to Inori. He sent me after you knowing I could bring you back. And if someone actually managed to take Inori, I am certain he would think of a plan to get her back as well. So instead of worrying, you should trust Hashirama."

Akari slowly nodded.

"Go back to sleep. I want to finish this book."

She emptied her cup and laid back down. Somehow, it felt like she was cut off from her own life, from reality. She didn't know whether her friends were alive or not, whether the rest of her team was in Konoha or somewhere completely else. It was a weird feeling, weird and distorted.


	10. Back in the Land of Fire

The third day of their journey back to the Land of Fire was a quiet one. Everything went according to Tobirama's plan. They were following roads again now that they were in allied land and he had marked a route on his map. They passed the towns that lay on their way right on schedule, and Tobirama predicted that they would cross the border to the Land of Fire in the early afternoon.

They passed merchants, travelers and samurai on their way. Most of them ignored them, but some stopped to offer help. With their shabby clothes back on instead of the fresh yukata from the ryoukan, their appearance spoke volumes. But Tobirama always made sure to decline and be on his way again.

Akari barely spoke on his back. For the first few travelers they talked to, she insisted on being let down. Eventually she stopped asking and stayed on his back.

They took a short break close to a village around noon. They were out of money and thus there was not much to do for them. Akari asked to wait outside, farther away from the village, as Tobirama left to fill their water bottle at a fountain.

There had not been a trace of Iwagakure since Muu's attack. And while they were not yet home, in their own country, it felt fairly safe leaving her with the Hiraishin seal.

When Tobirama returned to the little bench he'd left her at with two filled bottles of fresh water, Akari's eyes were closed. Her head swayed left, before swinging back. She twitched and her eyes shot open.

"You are back," she quickly said.

"Tired?" It wasn't really a question. It was obvious she had barely slept the night prior. And the night before that.

But Akari shook her head and claimed, "Just resting my eyes." She then hopped back on Tobirama's back.

"You can sleep while I walk," he said as he started walking back to the last crossroad. "I'll wake you should the situation require it."

"Huh? No, I was only kidding when I said that last night. I'm not even tired," she protested. "I told you, just resting my eyes."

"Right," he said before dropping the conversation.

It didn't take long and Akari had fallen asleep. Tobirama could tell from the slow and steady breathing, and the additional weight of her head resting on his shoulder.

It really made no difference to him whether she was awake or asleep. He just kept walking.

* * *

Akari was still asleep when Tobirama reached the border to the Land of Fire.

A samurai guarding the road stopped them. He asked Tobirama to state name and intentions. They had a short conversation, the samurai called one of his superiors, another conversation followed.

Contrary to Tobirama's expectation, Akari did not wake and did not seem bothered by the voices around her.

They then stepped aside and let them pass, wishing them a good journey. And like that, Tobirama set foot on his homeland again.

The horizon he walked towards was dark and cloudy, and made him fear they would end up in the rain soon. Wet clothes on their last day before reaching Konoha had not been part of his plan.

But it seemed they had just missed the rain. The ground he walked on was still wet, and the air smelled of fresh water. The scent around them was much different from the one in the mountains. The air in the Land of Earth had been icy and dry. Here, it was warm and damp, and familiar.

Tobirama's back could have used a short break, but he didn't want to wake her. She was still sleeping peacefully, one deep breath followed by another, and after the events of the last two days, he didn't want to take that from her.

So he kept going, just a bit longer.

* * *

Akari woke up to a deep rumble in her stomach.

She stretched her back and arms as far as possible before realizing where she was and that she was still being carried. It came as a shock to her that she had actually fallen asleep, and she prayed that it had only been for a few minutes. She looked around to get an idea of where they were and how much time had passed.

"Good morning," Tobirama said, and Akari had to realize he was well aware she had fallen asleep.

She apologized. He let her down.

"Your stomach has been rumbling forever now. I'm surprised you didn't wake up earlier."

She creased her face into a frown. Her lips already parted in protest, but she then closed them again. "Where are we?" she asked instead.

He took out his map, considered for a moment, then said, "I'd say we are around here."

She glanced on the map to get an idea as well, then ripped it out of his hands to stare at it. "No way! I've slept through all of that? And we even passed the borders?"

He nodded, then took the map back from her. "I'd planned to spend the next night in this village. We won't really be able to afford anything though, so I'm not sure yet whether we'll find a place to stay. Maybe we could find someone who knows my brother and would take us in." His finger traced northwards, away from the road they were on, to the woods. "But for now, we could go to this river here. Fish a bit for food."

"I don't need to eat," she quickly said. "Let's follow your plan and head to the next village."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Just like you didn't need sleep? We are still almost a whole day away from Konoha. And even if we took a break of a few hours now, we'll still reach the next town in time." She didn't look convinced, so he added, "Besides, I'm hungry too."

"Fine," she said and waited for him to offer his back.

He didn't just yet and massaged his shoulders first while stretching his back. "My back could use a break too. My shoulders are all stiff from carrying you around all day."

She slapped his arm in a sulking manner, something he had not expected from her. "I already said 'fine'. Do you need me to say it again? Fine, let's take a break."

He could see why his brother liked her. She was easy to tease, even when he hadn't intended it. And Hashirama enjoyed poking fun at people all day long.

He smiled and picked her up. He could only guess that he was still carrying a pouting face on his back as he left the road and walked towards the forest.

* * *

The river ran straight through the forest. It was fairly big, and the air was filled with rushing as tons of waters whooshed past stones.

Tobirama searched for a comfy spot without much bushes and a few big stones to sit on before letting Akari down. She looked around, and decided she'd rather stand. The world around them was wet from rain.

She still carried the Hiraishin kunai, so Tobirama said, "You wait here. I'll make a fire and see if I can find some fish."

"I can light the fire," she immediately said. "There's wood literally everywhere here, so it's not like I'd have to walk much." She grabbed a tall stick that was lying nearby. "See? I even have my own walking cane now."

He didn't think it was necessary for her to help, but still left her to it. She started collecting branches and twigs that lay nearby. Around her, trees rustled in the wind and little drops of water fell down on her. It didn't matter that all the wood was damp. Jutsu was strong enough.

Once she had a small pile, she used a fire jutsu, and within seconds, the wood was on fire. It was fairly small yet, so she decided to take her stick and walk a bit to search for more.

Despite her foot hurting, moving around felt pleasant to her muscles and bones. She looked over to Tobirama, who was walking downstream searching for their dinner. There were many ways for a shinobi to effectively catch fish. Yet Hashirama usually preferred the traditional one: with a fishing rod and a lot of time. There'd been many days and missions when Akari, Inori and Riku had to wait hours for their teacher to return. She wondered how Tobirama would catch the fish.

She collected a few bigger branches and threw them on a pile next to their little campfire. It left a film of wet moss and molding wood on her hands. It stank of rotting wood and mushrooms.

So she went to the river, and kneeled at the riverbank to wash her hands.

She stayed a bit longer, close to the water. She liked how fresh it was, how smooth the surface was. Yet its current was strong and ruthless. Her father once told her that was how an exceptional shinobi ought to be - like water.

The ground beneath her was muddy from the rain, so when Akari stood up again, she found herself slipping.

Quickly she shifted her weight onto her other foot, the foot that was supposed to give stability. But it was also the broken one, and almost instantly, a sharp pain stopped her from relying on it.

She lost her balance even more, and was unable to recover it. She fell. Straight towards the water.

The shock of diving into ice cold water made her body forget about the pain in her ankle.

She gasped in, and out, and crawled up the riverbank again.

Tobirama appeared with an alarmed look on his face.

"What happened?" He urged as he grabbed her arm to pull her out and away from the water.

Akari stumbled and fell onto the muddy forest ground, where she decided to sit for a moment. She didn't exactly feel cold just yet, but she couldn't speak.

It took her a bit until she realized she was still gasping for air, and a bit longer then to control her breathing again.

Tobirama was kneeling in front of her, waiting for an explanation.

"I slipped…" she weakly admitted. Her voice sounded like she had just run a marathon.

"You slipped? Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief.

He grabbed her arm to try and pull her up, but she didn't move. "We have to get you back for the fire."

"Yes, sorry," she quietly said and got up. Her body felt heavy, her muscles numb from the shock. As they walked back to the fire, she started feeling the cold. And by the time they arrived, her body was shaking uncontrollably.

"You'll have to take off your -"

She pulled away from him, knowing well enough what he was about to say. "I will _not._ "

"You'll freeze," he said.

She sat down close to the fire. It didn't matter anymore that the stone she sat on was still a bit moist. She herself was dripping wet. "I'd rather freeze than take my clothes off in front of you."

Tobirama sighed and frowned, and dropped his armor, then took off his pullover. When Akari glanced at him, she saw it flying at her, and the black fabric landed right in her face. The white fur that had been attached to his armor soon followed.

"I don't need your smelly pullover." she said while she studiously avoided looking at his body. The awareness that her words were rude was buried somewhere beneath annoyance at herself and a firmly rooted embarrassment.

"And I don't need a Hyuuga with a lung infection. I was aiming at returning you to Konoha somehow intact, but you are not making it easy."

He waited a moment. Akari kept sitting there, arms wrapped around the soaked sleeves of her dress, eyes focused on some tree in the opposite direction.

"Look around you. There is not a single person here, except for me. And I couldn't be less interested in watching you take off your clothes. I'll go and see if I can find a village nearby." He frowned at her, knowing she was still reluctant to take up his offer and wear the damn pullover. So he added, "It's not like I can carry you to the next town like this. You are like a wet sponge."

Akari was left alone with Tobirama's pullover and the white fur. Especially the latter felt soft and warm in her hands. It was the opposite of her dripping wet clothes that clung to her skin like a soaked potato bag.

So she eventually activated her Byakugan and looked around. The only person she found was Tobirama. He was moving away from her, rushing through the forest. He never looked back.

"Couldn't be less interested," she repeated to herself with a snarl as she untied her dress and let it fall to the ground.

* * *

Tobirama returned around half an hour later, saying he could not find a village nearby, but an old abandoned cabin with a fireplace.

Akari was embarrassed to be sitting there wearing only his pullover. Her legs she had tucked up and buried somewhere inside the pullover as well. The fur was wrapped around her shoulders and smelled too much of Tobirama. The only thing trumping her embarrassment over being half naked was the embarrassment of having fallen into the river in the first place.

But Tobirama's eyes showed no reaction when he saw her, at least none she could spot. There was no hidden smirk because he'd won, and no hint of the same embarrassment Akari was feeling about the whole situation.

"We might be able to spend the night in the cabin and let your clothes dry."

Akari wasn't sure whether spending the night in a desolate cabin with Tobirama made her situation better or worse. "So we are not continuing today?"

"I haven't eaten yet. Besides, it hardly matters. We'll just have to walk a bit farther tomorrow before we reach Konoha. We should still be able to make it back before nightfall."

Her eyes dropped. "Is the cabin far?"

"Quite a bit, yes."

She sighed, and stood up. The pullover fell down her legs like a dress almost, but it still left her feeling that she was dressed inappropriately, and it was much different from the dresses she usually wore. "Fine, then. Carry me. It's not like I haven't lost my last bit of dignity already. First I get myself kidnapped, then I break my ankle, and now I'm even stupid enough to fall into a river. And here I am."

"That's what's bothering you? Your own incompetence?"

"Of course! How could it not?" she yelled back at him in an outburst of annoyance.

"Stupid mistakes happen to the best of us. It's smartest to accept them and do better next time. So from now on, maybe you should just sit down and let others take care of things until your ankle is healed."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better or worse?" She was still yelling, and for a moment, feared she would also start crying. But crying out of frustration was not her, so she quickly swallowed her feelings down again and took a deep breath.

But Tobirama had noticed, and his attitude too changed.

"You know who the last person I had to carry on my shoulders was?" He got into a more comfortable standing position that showed Akari they weren't going anywhere any time soon. When she sat down again and reluctantly shook her head, he said, "My brother. The Hokage. Because despite being a Senju, he managed to get so drunk he couldn't stand anymore. And I can't just leave the Hokage of our village to sleep in some alleyway with the other drunks, right?"

It didn't quite have the effect on her he'd hoped for, so he continued.

"And a few months back, my team and I were on a mission and Kagami prepared dinner. It was stew. One of his better creations actually, at least regarding the taste. When Hiruzen fished out a mahou mushroom, it was already too late. Danzou was the only one who didn't have any because he was still scouting. So he had to tend to us for almost two days while we were completely knocked out from the mushrooms."

That story had Akari crack a small smile. "Are you making this up? I never heard about that."

"We all promised to keep it a secret. Kagami felt very embarrassed that he mistook the mushrooms for their edible counterpart."

"You just broke that promise then."

He smiled. "I figured you'd want to keep this here a secret as well. So you can keep mine and I can keep yours."

Akari returned the smile. "You don't seem to be the best secret keeper, but I guess I'll have no choice. I won't tell anyone Tobirama Senju ate magic mushrooms."

"And I won't tell anyone you dove right into that river." He offered her his hand. "Come on, tomorrow your clothes will be dry again and we can pretend none of this ever happened."

She let him help her up. Her eyes fell on his chest as he pulled her up towards him. "So tomorrow we will be back in Konoha?" she asked as he heaped her onto his back.

"Most likely. If you don't decide to fall into another river."

She didn't answer. Her mind was too occupied with his hands on her thighs. It was a good thing he couldn't see her face. She was sure it had to scream embarrassment right at anyone who did as much as glance at her. She closed her eyes, hoping that could somehow take her thoughts off Tobirama and all the naked skin. But it only made her more aware of how loud and fast her heart was beating.

* * *

The cabin was an old woodcutter's hut. It wasn't too shabby yet clearly had stood empty for a while. Windows and doors were closed, but not locked.

The floor and furniture were dusty and dirty. But the roof was intact, so were the windows. And in front of them was a small fireplace with a chimney.

On the floor, they found skeleton. Someone had died inside the cabin, likely the former resident.

Akari stopped in the doorframe to stare at the human remains. The bones were still lying in the same position the person had died in. There was no smell, no flesh. Just bones and old fabric.

Tobirama did not seem to mind at all and stepped over it to throw wood into the fireplace. There was still a pile of logs conveniently placed next to it. He lit it.

"You think they died here all alone?" Akari asked. Part of this felt wrong to her though she knew there were hardly any alternatives.

Tobirama only shorty glanced at the bones and went on to search the cabin. "He," he said. When Akari didn't understand, he added, "He was a man."

"How can you tell?"

He looked at her almost as though he judged her for the question, like the answer was obvious. "From the bones," he answered shortly.

She kept standing next to the remains, still staring down at them as Tobirama opened cabinets and closets.

"You think we should bury him?"

He glanced down at the man again. Contrary to her expectation, he said, "Yes, we should."

Akari hung her clothes close to the fire to dry as she watched Tobirama sweep up the skeleton and dump it in a bucket. It was not the kind of burial ceremony she had expected, but Tobirama refused to touch the bones, and that Akari could understand.

She watched as he dug a grave outside, right next to a little garden behind the cabin. There were still plants and vegetables growing in there. The patch was overgrown with all sorts of plants that did not belong there, but Akari could spot a few carrots and raddish in between.

She liked looking at the garden. At least that gave her a reason to not look at Tobirama. The bare chest irritated her.

Riku would sometimes take his shirt off after training, something she always scolded him for. But that was different. With Riku, it was annoying, because it wasn't proper. Yet she had never felt embarrassed looking at her teammate.

Akari was embarrassed now. She could see every single muscle of Tobirama's shoulder move each time he drew the shovel into the ground. She had to remind herself to look at the little garden instead of him.

They put the bones in the grave and covered them with an old towel they found in the hut.

"What do you think happened to his family? I saw pictures of a woman inside," she asked, hoping a conversation could help take her mind off Tobirama's shoulders.

"Does it matter?"

"But it's sad, isn't it? His bones were just lying there. No one came for him. I wonder if anyone even knows he died."

Tobirama closed the grave and tramped down the soil.

"But you buried him anyway," she noted. "I doubt this meant anything to you, yet you still lay his remains to rest. I'm sure he would appreciate that you gave him this last honor."

Tobirama rose a brow at her and put the shower back where he'd found it. "Do you know why we either bury or burn our dead?"

She followed him inside again, using the broom to support her instead of Tobirama's arm.

She could tell that lying the dead to their final rest was not the answer he was looking for. Tobirama clearly was not a spiritual person.

So she said, "To offer those that stay behind an opportunity to say goodbye?"

The fire was burning brightly inside, and the air in the cabin was already warmer than it was outside. Tobirama took the broom from her once she made it inside and swept over the spot where the man had died.

"There are many ways to say goodbye. Burning and burying your loved ones hardly seems friendly. So there used to be clans who kept their dead ones around instead. They cleaned them each day, sat them down at the dinner table, tucked them into their beds in the evening again. It was their ritual to allow the dead to slowly pass to the other side, and for those who stayed behind to say goodbye."

Akari awkwardly stood in the middle of the room and watched him. She didn't want to sit down on the bed or chairs. It was all too dirty and did not belong to her.

"Eventually the whole clan died out in less than a month. They just kept dying, one after the other. No one ever found out why. But it's likely that whatever had killed the dead went on to kill the living as well." He stopped sweeping for a moment to look at her. "That's why we bury the dead. Not because of sentimentality and respect."

Akari rolled her eyes. "Now that does sound more like you."

"We should change the linen and maybe sweep the whole place a bit before we spent the night here." He opened the windows to let fresh air in.

Akari was not convinced. "Don't tell me you plan on sleeping in that bed?"

"I don't. You will."

"Me? No way. I'm not sleeping in a dead man's bed. You said so yourself, we have no idea what he died of."

He opened a closet and pointed at fresh linen. "Better than sleeping on the floor, isn't it."

"I'd rather sleep on the floor. Listen, you don't need to give me the bed because I'm a woman and the Hyuuga heiress or anything like that. If you don't mind sleeping in there, you are free to sleep in there. I'll gladly take the floor."

"You are a woman and the Hyuuga heiress though. Pretty sure your father wouldn't appreciate hearing I took the bed and let you sleep on the floor."

"Well, I won't tell him. So feel free to treat me like a random clanless man tonight."

One corner of his mouth twitch into a short smile. "So you'd rather sleep on the floor? Right next to where this man died?"

"No, I'll sleep right in front of the fireplace where it's warm and cozy," she protested and grabbed the broom from him again. "Why don't you go out and finally catch those fish? We only ended up here because you said you were so hungry."

"Can I leave you alone then or will I come back to find the cabin burned down?"

She turned away from him and purposefully started sweeping dust and dirt into his direction.

He snorted and left.

Akari went on to clean the floor, then put a fresh cover and blanket on the bed and threw the old ones out. It looked almost comfortable all of a sudden. But she attributed that to her still being cold now that the windows were open. It made the bed look so much more welcoming.

Her hair was all wet still, and she decided to unpin it and wear it down so it would dry faster. It was a mess of long brown waves. The poor state of her hair reminded her of her current life. For a moment she felt like taking a blade and simply cutting it all off, then decided that was something she would regret the next day. So she went back to cleaning the place instead.

* * *

Tobirama returned with four fish, already disemboweled and skewered, and whatever technique he had used to catch them, it had been much quicker than Hashirama and his fishing rod.

They sat in front of the fire together and held their fish towards the flame. The floor they sat on was covered with fresh linen and the room was bathed in a soft orange light, which did a good job at hiding all the remaining dust and dirt around them.

Akari had to admit it felt sort of cozy. The world outside was slowly turning black and it was like the world inside the cabin was cut off from the rest. In there, it was only the two of them and the chimney fire.

"So you said we'll be back in Konoha tomorrow?" she asked again. The silence between them no longer felt uncomfortable like it had on their first night together. Contrary, she found herself enjoying sitting next to him. It felt reassuring, and familiar. And she wanted to spend this remaining time talking to him, getting to know him better.

"Most likely, yes," he answered. His eyes never left his fish.

Akari wondered what kind of topics would interest Tobirama Senju, what would engage him in a conversation with her. At the same time, she felt their talk shouldn't be too personal.

"Your Hiraishin…" It was the one bulletproof topic she could think of. Every shinobi loved to be praised on their jutsu. "It sure is impressive. Hashirama-sensei always says you are the smartest person he knows."

He glanced at her, then took a bite of his fish. "Thanks," he shortly murmured in between chewing.

Akari decided to eat as well. She couldn't decide whether she thought Tobirama was a nice person or utterly impolite. Somehow it was both at the same time.

"How do you do that? Come up with all those jutsu, I mean."

"A lot of trial and error." He didn't expand on it much further.

Akari nodded. He made it sound easier than it was. "You know, ninjutsu is actually the one thing I admire Riku for. No one ever taught him anything about chakra and its usage. Yet he managed to come up with wind jutsu all on his own. Simply from intuition. I could never do that. He didn't even know what chakra was."

He pulled some fish bones out of his mouth and threw them into the fire. Still occupied with his fish to look for more bone, he said, "You know fire and water release enough to combine them. At least that's what my brother told me. You can be proud of that. Most shinobi never reach that level of proficiency."

"I can. But I'm not creative enough to figure out what to do with it. Last time I experimented with boiling water and hot steam, I accidentally scalded my own hand and father forbid me to try again."

He snorted. "Fathers forbid a lot. Konoha wouldn't exist today if my brother had listened to everything our father once said."

Akari wondered whether she would be able to speak like that in the future. Because there was a lot she wanted to do in life that her father forbid. A lot that was similar to Hashirama making peace with the Uchiha. And a lot surely sprouted in the fact that Hashirama had been her teacher, and had planted all sorts of beliefs in her on how the world should and should not be.

For a moment, she thought about sharing with Tobirama that, one day, she meant to change the Hyuuga clan. Abolish the Sun Seal. And unite branch and main family.

Instead she said, "My father is a vivid admirer of water jutsu. The affinity for it runs in my family. He was greatly displeased when I announced that I would study fire release next. Too dangerous in his opinion."

It sparked a conversation about chakra affinity and clan jutsu between them, one which mainly consisted of Akari asking questions and Tobirama answering them more or less willingly.

By the time they finished eating, the world outside was pitch black. Inside the cabin, the fire still burned, and seemed to be glowing brighter than ever. Akari used the time to comb through her hair with her hands.

"At my age, what kind of jutsu were you able to use? Which nature transformations?" Tobirama didn't quite understand the question, so she added, "What? Is it wrong to compare myself to you? I want to know, to see how I am doing so far."

"At your age… I knew the Hiraishin, water release, wind release and fire release. All to varying degrees. I could use a bit of ice release as well. And I had just started working on the Shadow Clones."

"You've known the Hiraishin for that long. I didn't know that."

He slowly nodded. "The first time I used it in battle… was the last battle between Senju and Uchiha before Konoha was founded."

Tobirama's eyes dropped to the floor and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other before deciding to get up and throw another log into the fire.

Akari wondered how she would go about inventing a jutsu such as the Hiraishin. She had no idea.

He stood between her and the fire, looked down at her. "Should we go to sleep yet?

Akari glanced outside. It was dark, yet hardly late into the night. "I was thinking we could talk some more," she admitted. "But I can also take the first shift if you'd rather sleep now. I'm not tired yet."

He sat down next to her again. "No, it's fine. I'm not really tired yet either."

Akari felt relieved, happy almost, that Tobirama was not completely opposed to talking to her. After all, she had just given him a way out, one he chose to not take.

"The Hiraishin seems like something you would develop later in your life. You know, pooling all the wisdom you acquired so far into this one jutsu. I can't believe you were younger than I am now."

"I don't think I would have ever developed a jutsu like the Hiraishin later in my life. Not if I was living in Konoha. The Hiraishin, it's dangerous. It's why I have taught it to none of my students."

She waited for him to continue, though she could tell this jutsu was not one of his favorite topics after all. Despite it being the most brilliant one Akari had ever seen.

"It took me years to reach a point where I could use it myself. Before that, I tested it on animals for a long time. Well, I guess you can imagine for yourself what happens if you make a mistake and only part of the body gets teleported. Some of them just vanished, and I never found them again."

He took the stick and started poking around the coils of the fire.

"I never thought of that," Akari admitted. "Why invent it at all then?"

"It's not exactly a jutsu you come up with during fairly peaceful times just for the sake of it. Back then, the risk of accidentally getting lost in another space or cutting myself in half seemed not too bad to take in order to develop a jutsu that could potentially end the eternal feud between Senju and Uchiha."

"I guess, bad times like those can drive people to brilliance," she quietly said in an attempt to show a positive attitude.

He didn't speak it out loud, but Akari knew well enough that Tobirama had used it kill Izuna Uchiha. The father of her best friend. It wasn't something a lot of people in Konoha knew, not even some of the clan heads. Hashirama and Madara had agreed that was a detail that was better left unsaid. No one ever lied about it. Everyone simply kept quiet about it.

Everyone except Inori, who had told her best friend all she knew. Most of that information had come from her uncle, and while Inori hardly held a grudge against the Senju, Madara sure did.

Akari studied the profile of Tobirama's face. She had never cared much for him. But now she was interested in his side of the story.

So she asked, "Do you regret killing Izuna?"

He immediately turned to her, his eyes were full of surprise at her question. And maybe, Akari realized, this topic was too personal after all, and they were not close enough to talk about something as grave.

But Tobirama did not avert his eyes from her, and his voice was strong and honest when he said, "No, I don't." He let his answer sink in for a moment, knowing it likely was not what she had expected him to say, before he added, "That day, it was either him or me. And Izuna was not the type of shinobi to hold back just in case their opponent would do the same. And neither am I. In that regard, we differed from our brothers. So no, I don't regret what I did."

Akari's eyes dropped as she listened to him. They fell on his shoulders and chest again, and it was only then that she spotted all the scars on his skin.

The biggest one she touched with just the tip of her finger, wondering what story that one held. If maybe even, it was a reminder of the fight with Izuna. She traced scar all the way down from his shoulder to his heart.

The flames of the fire flickered in front of them, and the crackling of wood brought sudden sense back to Akari.

She hastily pulled her hand back. "I'm so sorry! That was utterly inappropriate of me. I shouldn't have just…" She turned away. Her cheeks were burning. Her mind screaming at itself to explain that behavior.

Silence returned and Akari couldn't bring herself to look at him. She wanted to sink into the bed and vanish in there. But that would make the whole situation only more strange, she figured.

So instead, she made herself look at him after all and stumbled an explanation. "I just noticed you have quite a few scars. And wondered whether you got them in your fights with the Uchiha."

"Most of them, yes," he answered, and Akari was glad to find he still spoke calm and collected. It was like he was a stone, and nothing she did could change the look on his face.

It eased her mind to know he wasn't offended, or angry, or agitated in the slightest. But at the same time, a feeling sparked in her that maybe, this was not the reaction she wanted after all.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, just to say anything at all.

"You don't need to apologize. Not like you had anything to do with it."

And there it was again, the silence that pressed itself between the two. Akari silently cursed herself for having brought it back. She had enjoyed the talk they had before. It had been free and easy. But this was the uncomfortable silence again. At least, that was how it felt to her. Tobirama's feelings she couldn't read.

They both stared into the flames of the fire. There were all sorts of colors. Red, orange and yellow. And the flames danced together like they itself were free of worries and obligations.

She wondered what Inori would say if she told her that Tobirama was actually quite a nice person, wondered whether Inori truly did not blame him for the death of her father.

"Your mother," Akari asked, knowing this might again be too personal. But she wanted to know. "Was she killed in the conflict between Senju and Uchiha?"

"She did," he admitted. "Just like my father and brothers. Hashirama and I are the only ones from my closer family who…"

Something moved through the air in the corner of Akari's eye, drawing all her attention away from the conversation. It was a black little something on its way towards the fire. Akari caught it with quick movements. Her hands formed a protective sphere around the fluttering wings.

"What are you doing?" Tobirama asked.

"I'm sorry. It went straight for the fire," she explained. "I think it's a moth. I didn't want it to burn."

She peeked inside and wondered what to do with it. If she let go of it again, it would surely continue its journey into the flames. So she walked over to the window and skillfully opened it with her elbow.

Tobirama barely showed interest in the moth rescue mission, only shortly glanced at her as she gave the insect its freedom back and quickly pulled the window shut.

"It's so big," he heard her gasp in awe. "And so beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a moth like this. Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you." She was about to return to the fire and their conversation, but couldn't quite take her eyes off the moth yet.

It was the admiration in her voice that somehow caught his interest. He got up, and walked over to her to see for himself how this small insect could inspire such fascination.

Its bright green and blue colors were barely visible against the darkness of the night. The moth looked like it was glued to the window, still hoping to somehow reach the light inside. Its wings were spread and elegantly curved.

Akari's eyes were still fixed on the it.

"It's a Luna Moth," Tobirama explained.

Akari turned to him, amazed. "You actually know the exact species?" She suddenly faltered, and, noticing that his face was right next to hers, she turned away again. He was leaning next to the window with one arm to look over her shoulder at the insect. He was close. Close enough she could almost bump into him just by turning around.

He shrugged. "I read a book on moth species. Some of them are poisonous, so it's useful knowledge."

Tobirama went on to state characteristics of the Luna Moth and how to effectively make poisons out of moth powder in general. But the words barely reached Akari's ears.

She thought she could feel his breath on her cheek as he looked past her. His eyes were on the moth, not on her, as he kept rambling. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that their bodies almost touched, or he simply did not care. And Akari remembered his words from earlier, when he left her at the fire in the woods.

She turned around to him, despite him being awfully close, and leaned against the wall behind them, looking up at him. With each second that passed, her mouth turned more and more into a tight frown. Until finally, he looked down at her and realized that she was staring at him.

He straightened himself and took a step back, interpreting the displeased look on her face as a sign that she wanted him to back off.

"Anyway, the Luna Moth is not poisonous. I guess you are lucky. Your hands could be an itching mess right now." He turned around to go back to the fire.

She impulsively grabbed his hand to stop him.

He glanced back at her, asked her what was wrong.

She hardly knew. She just wanted him to not turn away from her, to see her. His hand was warm. Yet she let go again as her mind was missing a reason to hold onto him.

Her eyes wandered from his hand over his bare chest up to his lips and eyes. He was still looking at her, but there was something missing. Her hands knotted in his pullover. The white fur was still wrapped around her neck and his scent engulfed her. It felt all too familiar at this point.

She wanted there to be more in his eyes.

He turned away when she didn't answer. Akari hurried after him, bumped into him half on purpose. Her forehead rested against his back until he turned around to her once more. His brows formed a confused frown.

He looked down at her waiting for an explanation.

Her mind raced to find one. She searched for an excuse. An apology was already on the tip of her tongue. Her lips parted to undo whatever she had just started.

But instead of speaking, her hands softly wrapped around his cheeks, and she reached up to press her lips onto his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo… did the kiss come as a surprise to you guys? :)
> 
> Next chapter will focus more on Tobirama again, and, well… his reaction to what just happened. I hope you guys are excited because I sure am! (Is Tobirama excited though?)


	11. The Night that Never Happened

Tobirama's body froze for a moment as he tried to make sense of Akari's actions. He grabbed her wrist, and pulled away from her, and from her lips.

" _What are you doing_?" It was the first time there was truly anger in his voice.

The kiss had been brief, but it was enough to leave a lasting sensation. A slight tickle remained on his lips that he tried to brush away with the back of his hand.

Akari grew smaller as his disapproval reached her. Her eyes reflected the light of the fire still burning in the chimney, but she hastily averted them.

Silence returned between them. Not the relaxing and peaceful one, but a silence that was full of tension. Akari didn't leave nor speak. She stood there staring at his feet, waiting for him to say something. But Tobirama had nothing to say.

"Whatever that was, let's just pretend it never happened." It was the best his brain could come up with.

A frown formed on her lips again as she pressed them together. The expression he had seen so often in the last few days. But this time it was accompanied by a look on her face he hadn't seen before.

She pushed past him and sat down in front of the fire.

Tobirama was lost. He couldn't understand.

The same spot he'd sat on before, right to Akari's right side, suddenly seemed inappropriate, too close. So he kept standing there, staring at her back.

Eventually, he said, "We should go to sleep. It's gotten late."

She ignored him. It was a behaviour he wasn't used to.

"Akari," he tried again. "Go to bed. The floor's still cold even in front of the fire. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

"You take the bed if you want to sleep that badly," she shortly replied. Her arms were wrapped around her bare legs, and half her face buried somewhere between them. He could see that she was sulking. Yet it still made no sense.

"Fine," he said, mostly to have a reason to get away from her. He lay down and vanished under the blanket. The cover it provided felt reassuring, as reassuring as a blanket could be at least. He couldn't bear to look at her. It stirred up his mind.

He turned left, and right, and left again, then closed his eyes while lying on his back. But sleep wouldn't come to him.

* * *

Tobirama couldn't tell how many hours passed, or if an hour passed at all. He couldn't tell whether he'd been asleep at times or not. His mind was racing, couldn't find any rest. It kept skipping through the events of the last three days, and it all led to the kiss, over and over.

He massaged his eyelids. It barely helped his state of mind. He was still searching for a rational reason for Akari's behaviour. She couldn't possibly be interested in him romantically. They barely knew each other. And she was the Hyuuga heiress, his brother's student. There was absolutely nothing rational about it.

A peek at her told him that she was still awake, still sitting in front of the fire. The crackling of the burning wood was the only sound in the room.

Silence prevailed. Until Akari sneezed.

The sudden noise tore Tobirama away from his thoughts. He rose, looked at her, and then threw his blanket down at her. She vanished beneath it.

"I told you to not get sick," he grumbled, then turned away from her before she could pull the blanket off her head. He faced the wall next to the bed, and could only wonder what expression she was wearing now.

He stared at the little cracks in the wood and the unique patterns of the logs. Until he heard her move and stand up.

"I want to apologise," she said.

He turned to her, sat up again. But just looking at her confused him. She was standing there, wrapped into the blanket.

"About earlier, I'm sorry that… I don't know why -"

"It's fine," he interrupted her. As much as his mind wanted to hear an explanation for that kiss, a rationalization that made sense, he was too afraid of what she might say. So clumsily, he said, "I don't want to talk about it. I told you, let's just forget it happened."

His words seemed to physically hit her, and she swayed back before straightening herself. "Right," she said weakly. "It never happened."

She waited for him to say something again, but the conversation was over for Tobirama. All he had to do was to fall asleep, and the next day, they would return to Konoha. And finally, he'd be able to continue with his life. All of this would be left behind and forgotten.

"Do you want to lie down?" He was ready to leave the bed to her.

"No!" she blurted out before he could even move. "Please, stay. I'm not really tired." She paused. "Are you? Tired?"

He thought about lying, but somehow, his lips chose to answer truthfully. "Not really."

She nodded. "Do you want to continue talking for a bit?"

"There is nothing to talk about."

"No, I mean, we were talking earlier. About your mother and the conflict between Senju and Uchiha. I'm sorry I interrupted our conversation. I…" She grabbed the blanket that lay over her shoulders tighter. "I'd like to continue from there if you don't mind. After all, nothing happened between us after that. Right?"

He stayed quiet. He couldn't appreciate the way she twisted his words. Obviously they couldn't just continue like nothing had happened. Her actions did not magically disappear or change just because he wished they did. He wondered whether Akari regretted it as well. She had to, looking at the way her eyes could barely meet his.

She sat down on the floor again, next to the bed this time, and leaned against it. Tobirama could only see the back of her head.

"It's fine if you'd rather go to sleep. I just wanted to pass some time talking, really."

Tobirama was not in the mood to talk. But there really wasn't much to do except for sleep or talk, or continue to sit there in silence. And he couldn't go to sleep because it gave his mind too much time to think.

So he chose to stay quiet and let Akari do the talking.

"It must be hard, losing most of your family."

He didn't reply nor react in any way, so Akari decided to tell him about her own life.

"My mother got killed in a conflict between clans as well. I was five when it happened. Of course, they wanted the Byakugan. I barely remember anything about her. Just some stupid etiquette on how to behave properly that she taught me. But picturing her actual face has become pretty hard."

Her voice sounded a bit husky. He couldn't tell whether it was because she was nervous or tired, or if she was actually getting sick.

She turned around to him and rested arms and head on the edge of the bed. "What about you? Do you remember a lot about your mother? I'm sure you must have inherited her looks."

Her violet iris glowed golden in the orange light of the fire.

"No, I don't," he lied.

"I see," she said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Well, I guess if my mother hadn't been killed that day, my clan would have never joined Konoha. I'd be in Kirigakure right now, not here. A weird thought, isn't it?" It sounded more like she was talking to herself. Her head was still resting on her arms as she stared into nothingness. "I guess you and I would only ever fight on opposite sides. Who knows, maybe instead of rescuing me, you'd get the mission to kill me. Or kidnap me."

"Do you always talk this much?"

Silence ensued. Then she giggled, which took him aback. It wasn't something he'd expected.

"Actually, I don't. Usually I'm the one asking Inori that question." A soft smile stayed on her lips. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make us both forget about… earlier. But I guess nothing ever happened, so maybe I should really just shut up."

Tobirama crossed his arms at the passive-aggressive intonation she used for the last sentence. He couldn't help a frown.

"Then why'd you do it in the first place?" He hadn't planned on talking about this again. But part of him was burning to know. "Why kiss me?"

Akari looked at him again. Her lips slightly parted in surprise. She shrugged and took her time to answer. "I don't know. I just felt like it."

"You just felt like it?"

"It's not that big of a deal, is it?" She smiled at him. "It was just a kiss."

He couldn't quite trust his ears. She didn't strike him as that kind of girl. Then again, most of what he knew about her he had from Hashirama's stories or from their journey over the last three days.

She sneezed again. Once. Twice.

He was not convinced, yet decided that maybe it was best to just let it go. After all, in less than 24 hours they would go their separate ways again. And the reason why she kissed him wouldn't matter anymore. They could both just forget about it.

So he decided to move on. "Cold?"

She got up. "The fire has become smaller, I'll put some more wood on it."

He watched as she wobbled over to the pile of wood with the blanket wrapped around her.

When she turned around again, their eyes met.

They looked at each other for a while. Then, Tobirama said, "You really shouldn't sleep on the floor."

"Are you inviting me into bed?" She smiled again. It was a cheeky smile that somehow didn't fit her well.

"I'll leave the bed to you."

She didn't move and shook her head instead. "You already gave me the blanket. And your pullover. I won't accept more."

He kept looking at her. If she was not Akari, if she was one of his own students, he would not think twice about simply sharing the bed. It was big enough. He wouldn't bat an eye sleeping next to Hiruzen or Danzo, and everyone knew that Kagami always liked to snuggle up on his teammates during sleep.

"I'll keep sitting here then. You can have the rest of the bed."

The blush on her face that was visible even in the damp orange light almost immediately brought doubts to his mind. He didn't look at her as she sat down at the other end of the bed.

"Are you not cold?" she asked, wrapped in the blanket.

"I barely ever get cold. Land of Frost genes, I assume."

She nodded, but then grew quiet. Her chattiness was gone, and he wondered whether this made her feel uncomfortable.

In the end, Akari wasn't like his team. She had kissed him.

"Let's go to sleep. I'm tired after all." He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. It didn't matter whether she was in the same bed as him or not, he told himself. Tomorrow, they would be back in Konoha. All of this would be forgotten.

But again, sleep wouldn't come, no matter how hard he tried to force his body to relax and feel tired.

* * *

When Tobirama opened his eyes again, Akari was still sitting at the same spot, arms wrapped around her legs. Her head rested on her knees. She was still awake as well.

She glanced up at him, and their eyes met once more.

This time Tobirama looked away.

"Long night today," he murmured, somehow feeling forced to say something after all.

It irritated him when she didn't respond.

"Are you still cold?" He tried again with a question.

She raised her head and slightly straightened. "I thought you wanted to sleep."

She was right. That's what he'd said. That's what his mind wanted to do. But somehow, the rest of his body was wide awake.

"You can lie down here if you want to sleep. I can sit at the end of the bed instead. I slept on your back today, so I might as well hold watch."

He almost immediately declined, but it was too late. Akari was already sitting next to him, just far enough away that their shoulders wouldn't touch.

"I can't sleep," he admitted when she waited for him to lie down.

"Neither can I."

They were sitting next to each other, both leaning against the wall behind them.

"Does it bother you if I sit here?" she eventually asked.

"Why would it bother me?" It was a statement, not a question. Tobirama was still set on treating her like a normal teammate. So he pretended there was nothing wrong at all about their situation, despite his palms being all sweaty.

He wiped them on his pants. Meanwhile Akari was fiddling around with his fur.

She offered it back to him as a cushion, but he refused. So she tucked it into her arms like a stuffed animal.

Tobirama shifted his weight around in an attempt to find a more comfortable sitting position. He wasn't very successful.

"Are you looking forward to being back in Konoha soon?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "I'm sure your father is going crazy because Hashirama returned without you."

She smiled at him. "Is that what you are looking forward to? Dropping me off at my father's?"

"That's what I came to do after all. To bring you back."

She nodded, but did not seem too convinced. "I've prayed to be back in Konoha as quickly as possible for the last three days. But now that I am here, I somehow wouldn't mind staying another day. A cabin in the woods is quite charming, isn't it?" She looked around. "Well, let's say it would be charming if there were less spider webs and dust."

Tobirama subconsciously followed her glances. They ended on the window, the one with the moth. The animal was still resting on the glass, waiting for a chance to get closer to the light it desired so much.

"Maybe that's why I'm not tired. Part of me doesn't want to return to my life just yet." She squeezed the fur tighter. There was a heavy air about her, one she quickly brushed off. She continued in a more cheerful tone. "What's the first thing you are going to do once we are back?"

"As I said, drop you off in my brother's office. Check if everyone made it back safely. And then, have a look at all the paperwork on my desk. I'm sure there'll be plenty of new documents that need my attention."

She stared at him with big eyes before breaking into a small laugh. "Paperwork, are you serious? That's just sad."

"How? It's my work."

"Some would say it's a miracle that we made it out of the Land of Earth without a major incident. And the first thing you want to do when we get back is work?"

"It wasn't a miracle," he dryly replied. "We had a good plan and solid execution."

"We had a plan?"

"Sure, you scout, I walk."

"Oh, so it was a team-effort then?" There was a slight grin on her lips, and she spoke almost like she was teasing him.

He rose a brow at her, not quite understanding what she was trying to imply. "Of course it was a team-effort."

Her eyes grew bigger as she stared at him with genuine surprise written all over face.

"Really?"

He still couldn't understand. "Yes. I doubt it would have been as easy without your Byakugan. Does that honestly surprise you?"

A smile followed, one that reached up all the way to her eyes.

"A bit, yes. I was worried you'd only see me as a mission. And a burden. You know, someone who bumps into you in fights and falls into rivers." She looked at him again, the smile still on her face. "Thank you."

It felt like the first time Tobirama truly saw her smile. This smile was sincere, and bright.

He looked away. He wasn't sleepy, yet his mind felt tired and exhausted. Just sitting next to her was exhausting.

He could feel her lean into him just a bit. It was enough for their shoulders to touch. He wondered whether she was aware of how close they were, whether this was all intentional on her part.

Tobirama closed his eyes, took a deep breath. The next day, they would be back in Konoha.

* * *

"Would you want to be a moth? If you could?"

Her voice almost startled him. It came out of nowhere after another span of silence. And with her still just so slightly leaning into him, her voice was close.

It led Tobirama to believe that he must have misheard the absurd question. "Excuse me?" he asked to clarify. But her eyes were fixated on the moth. It was nothing more than a small shadow on the window.

"It has to feel so freeing to have wings that can take you anywhere."

He snorted. "Yes, straight into the next campfire. I'd rather not."

She moved away from him a bit as she straightened herself. Tobirama noticed the exact moment their shoulders lost touch.

"At least they die reaching what they desired all along. It's tragic, and bittersweet. But maybe I'd like to be a moth."

"Right," he said, sounding fairly unimpressed. "Want me to put out the fire so that you don't kill yourself right away?"

She laughed at his words. It was a sweet laugh. Small and short, but also sincere.

Talking to her felt relieving. It stopped his mind from spinning.

She was observing him, staring almost. "Do I have something stuck to my face?" he asked, because asking was easier than allowing his mind to wonder again.

"Do you regret the kiss?"

Her words felt like a punch in the stomach. "This again?"

"That's the last question I will ask for tonight. I just want to know, assuming that no one will ever learn of it. Assuming that once we leave this cabin, the kiss has never happened. Under those conditions, do you regret the kiss?"

Tobirama couldn't answer. It was like his mind refused to comprehend her words. All he could do was stare at her lips. The ones that kissed him.

Her face moved closer to his, her hand rested on his thigh.

"If, when the sun rises, this night is forgotten and never happened, would you regret kissing me again?"

He couldn't say. Part of him clearly did. Part of him screamed that yes, it was wrong, and should never happen. But he couldn't find his voice.

His hesitation was enough of an answer for Akari. And then her lips were on his again for another kiss.

It was short, just like the first time. But softer. Tobirama never pulled away, never forcefully grabbed her wrist, never yelled at her.

She was still so close he could feel her breath brush his lips as she said, "Let's just pretend that all this isn't happening."

Tobirama opened his mouth to speak, but she already pressed another kiss onto his lips. This time, he did more than just not stop her. He kissed her back, and the kiss grew longer.

Slowly, his muscles relaxed.

Kissing her wasn't bad. It made his mind go blank. And after the last few hours of his mind feverishly racing to find answers and explanations, he needed just that. He needed to not think. He needed this feeling that her lips left on his.

Her hands moved to his cheeks again before vanishing in his hair. She held him tight, and close, almost as though she was afraid he'd slip away.

Tobirama kept his hands to himself, until finally, a spark of sense returned to him and he pushed her shoulders back, trying to let her know this would not continue.

"I can't," he said. "We can't just pretend this isn't happening."

"I don't know what you are talking about. We aren't doing anything, are we?"

She seemed amused, but he was not.

"You are my brother's student. You are the heiress of the Hyuuga family. You are-"

She pressed a finger onto his lips to shut him up. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his face, somewhat angry at the way she forcefully interrupted him.

"What are you even trying to do?" His voice was just one step away from yelling again.

Her lips that felt soft against his just a moment ago turned into a hard and fierce frown. Just looking at her made him tighten his grip until she eventually pulled away from him.

Tobirama's body was tense again.

"You keep going on and on about who I am. Who cares? No one can prove that the moon does not vanish when no one's looking at it."

The last part was a ridiculous claim to Tobirama that his mind was ready to argue against, despite being all irritated about the situation he was in.

But the air around Akari changed too suddenly, and it drew his attention back to her. Her supposed carefreeness was gone, and so was the frown on her face. A sober look was all that remained.

"All that should matter is whether you want this or not."

Tobirama snorted.

"For one night, I want to not be Akari Hyuuga. So stop mentioning my father and clan, and your brother. They are not here. They don't matter. If there is a moment to forget who we are for once, it's now."

He couldn't stand the way she looked at him with eyes full of expectations. Glowing eyes he couldn't take his own off of.

She gave Tobirama a moment to consider her words, but Tobirama could not consider at all. The taste of her kiss still lingered on his tongue.

Her voice was no more than a whisper when she said, "If you really don't want this, then just say so. I won't be mad. But don't reject me because of my name. Please."

Tobirama swallowed. He wished he didn't.

It was him who moved his face closer to hers. Slowly, still subconsciously waiting for some bigger force that would stop him. But there was none.

His nose reached hers, and their lips soon followed. They kissed, and kept kissing.

* * *

Their kisses grew hot and needy. And the more they pressed their lips and bodies together, the more comfortable they were with being close. Still, they barely moved and stuck to the part of their bodies they slowly felt familiar with.

Tobirama's hands rested on her hips, on top of his own pullover she was wearing. They were frozen in place. Until she took them and guided them beneath the fabric. Her skin was warm, and soft.

He stopped again.

"Where is this going?" he asked breathless in between kisses. He turned his face away from her to wait for an answer. Her lips met his ear instead. Something, he realised quickly, that didn't exactly put him in a better spot. He felt her breath against his skin, softly tickling. Goosebumps ran down his neck and arm.

Akari too stopped, and straightened herself. She answered by pulling his pullover over her head. For a moment, she kept holding it in front of her to cover herself.

Tobirama looked away. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Neither do I." Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. But instead of putting the pullover back on, she threw it to the side.

She sat in front of him, naked. Her eyes she shyly averted as she was nervously biting her lower lip. "But I still want to," she finally added.

Tobirama swallowed again. His throat felt dry. He didn't struggle as she softly took his hand into hers, and pulled him with her like a gentle breeze blowing him into her direction.

If only one of his muscles had resisted, her pull would not have been enough. He would have stopped. Instead she lay down on her back, and he found himself on top of her.

Tobirama didn't know what he was doing, but he knew it felt good.

He couldn't stop kissing her. He couldn't stop running his hand up her body, to her breasts.

Only when Akari's hands moved to his pants and started pulling them down did Tobirama stop once more. He was out of breath, his heart beat violently. He pushed himself up, looked at her.

"I can't," he gasped. "Your father would kill me if -"

Again, her finger moved to his mouth. This time, she barely touched him, but it was enough to interrupt Tobirama from speaking. She softly brushed over his lips, which almost made him forget what he'd wanted to say.

"If there is one person I don't want you to talk about while lying on top of me naked, it is my father," she said, as she moved her hands to his hips again and pulled down his pants.

She smiled as she pushed herself up to him to continue the kissing. "Don't worry," she said, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. "He will never know. I promise."

There was something about her that was drawing him in. The golden shimmer of her eyes was like a light attracting him. That and the rest of her naked body that she pressed against his.

And like that, Tobirama decided to give in. Just that one night.

* * *

Tobirama woke up with the first rays of sunlight. It was a quick awakening. One second he was sleeping, the next his eyes shot open with a sense of shock and urgency, feeling like he had slept too long, too deep.

His first sensation was his dry mouth and lips. The fire had heated up the small cabin too much, and the air was hot and stifling. His head hurt. He wanted to get water, open the windows.

His next sensation was the weight of Akari's head on his shoulder that kept him from getting up.

Memories returned. His body froze.

Akari was still lying next to him. She was still naked, so was he.

Tobirama swallowed. His chest felt heavy. He ran his free hand over his forehead and eyes, hid under it for just a moment. He prayed for his memories to be false somehow, but the proof lay in his arms, snuggled against his chest.

He almost moaned in frustration but didn't want to wake Akari. He couldn't face her. He wasn't sure whether he ever could.

His heart almost stopped when her head moved. She scratched her cheek and slowly opened her eyes.

Tobirama was ready for a thunderstorm to reach the cabin and lighting to strike him. He expected her to be angry. And he couldn't face that completely naked. He couldn't stay right next to her.

So he jumped out of the bed to grab his pants. He rushed them on so hastily he almost fell over. When he turned to Akari again, she was sitting on the bed, covering herself with the blanket.

To his utmost surprise, she was smiling at him. It was a shy smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," he answered, baffled.

"I guess my dress should be dry again. Could you give it to me?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," he said. He handed it to her and turned away so she could change.

Once dressed, Akari started making the bed and collected the sheets they had put on the floor. Tobirama watched her, still unsure what was going on.

"We spent the night here. The least we can do is tidy up a bit," she explained when she noticed his doubtful looks.

"No one's living here anymore. So how does it matter?"

"I don't expect you to help." She carefully folded the blanket and put it on the bed. Tobirama's pullover was still lying there. She took it, shook it out, then offered it to him. "Thank you for letting me wear it."

He couldn't meet her eyes as he took it back. He put it on again, but it felt weird, strange, like it wasn't his own anymore.

Tobirama put on his armor as well, hoping he'd feel more like himself again. Akari kept cleaning. He wanted to talk to her, but couldn't find the words. He hoped she would start the conversation. But she didn't.

Eventually, she went outside to wash her face.

Tobirama remained behind, and slumped into a chair. His elbows rested on the table, his face he covered with his palms like a troubled man.

He was still sitting like that when she returned. And only sat up straight again when he noticed she stood next to him, waiting. A sigh left him.

"Listen, about last night…" He stopped to search for the right words. He'd gone over what to say ever since they woke up. But there were hardly any words to express how he felt.

"We don't have to talk about it. After all, we agreed this never happened. Right?" Akari spoke calm and collected, and it irritated him. She took the Hiraishin kunai and water bottle to pack them away, acting like really nothing had happened.

"So you were being serious when you said that no one will know of this?"

"Of course. You said it yourself, my father would kill you if he knew." She smiled mockingly.

Tobirama did not feel like joking at all.

She noticed his tenseness, and her expression grew more serious as well. "We will both keep quiet about this. And no one will find out." She tried to reassure him while keeping her distance.

There was this invisible wall between them now that kept them apart, one that neither of them dared to even approach.

When Tobirama eventually nodded and got up to leave, they stood there awkwardly for a while.

He didn't offer to carry her, while she suddenly waited for a permission she had never needed before.

"So, we are leaving for Konoha now?" she asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Yes." He pointed at his back. "I guess we should…"

"Yes," she agreed and stepped closer to let herself get carried.

Tobirama's heart sank as he felt her weight on his back. He tried to swallow his doubts and memories away when she wrapped her arms around him. But he knew he'd made a mistake. One that surely would have consequences, even if Akari tried her best to make light of it.

They left the cabin behind. They left the night they had spent together behind. And neither spoke to the other.

* * *

The hours passed slowly. Tobirama's mind was too occupied, even though he tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. For a long time, he sprinted with Akari on his back, despite his body being exhausted. But he wanted to get back to Konoha as quickly as possible. He couldn't spend another night together with her.

Communication they kept to a minimum. Sometimes she would ask him whether they should take a break. Other times he'd ask her whether she was thirsty.

Until eventually, the sun stood far in the west, and Tobirama stopped.

"We are close enough for me to use the Hiraishin. I can teleport us straight into my brother's office."

She slid down his back to stand on her own. She seemed confused, so he added, "I figured you'd prefer that over me carrying you all the way through the village."

She nodded, and straightened her dress. Their eyes met, and for a moment, they watched each other's facial expression, searching for any hints that might give the other away.

There was none. Keeping emotions locked away was a skill they had both been taught well.

Akari asked him to take a moment to match their accounts of the journey. They decided that everything happened the way it did, except for the last night. Akari never fell into the river, Tobirama never offered her his pullover, and he slept on the floor of the cabin alone like he had intended to in the first place.

"I'm ready then," she said.

Tobirama couldn't help a sigh as he held out his hand to her. She stared at it in confusion, repulsion almost.

"You have to give me your hand for the Hiraishin to work," he explained.

"Oh, right." She too took a deep breath, bracing herself for their return.

She placed her hand into his, and he held onto her just so slightly.

"Ready?" he asked again just to make sure.

Akari nodded, then averted her eyes from him. From now on, one glance could give them away.

A moment later, they were back in Konoha. In the Hokage office, back to their old lives.


	12. Returned

One moment they were still out in the forest, the next they stood in the Hokage's office.

Hashirama was sitting at his desk in front of them, stared at them, and Akari could see the exact moment on his face he realised who stood there.

She quickly let go of Tobirama's hand.

Hashirama jumped over his desk, paper flew through the air, and he pulled them both simultaneously into a tight embrace.

The door opened almost immediately and a shinobi asked whether all was fine. Hashirama told him to get Akari's father, tell him of her return.

He kept holding them, started sobbing. All Akari could think about was that she was still so close to Tobirama. Hashirama was pressing them together.

But she made sure not to look at him, not even a short glance. Because they were back in Konoha. She was back to being Akari Hyuuga.

And in a village full of shinobi, even the smallest glimpse could give too much away.

"I am so eternally grateful you two made it back." Hashirama finally stopped hugging them and moved back to take a look at them. "Is anyone injured?"

"Her ankle is broken," Tobirama reported in his usual calm voice that lacked excitement and intonation. "Other than that, we are both fine."

Hashirama eyed her foot with concern, but it was soon overshadowed with pure relief again. He asked her how she was feeling and whether he ought to call a medic right away.

Akari hardly cared about her foot.

"Sensei, what about the others? What about the jinchuuriki?"

The happiness in Hashirama's face died in an instant. His glance dropped.

Akari took a short breath, realising there was something wrong. She could hear Muu's voice in her head, and fear grew in her.

Hashirama slowly walked back to his desk. "Kumogakure took the sixtails. After you left, Tobirama, we found ourselves not only attacked by the Raikage and his people, but by Iwagakure as well. Muu the non-person and his team, to be precise." He took some documents from the desk and gave them to Tobirama. It was the official report on the mission. "As it stands, we suspect that Kumo and Iwagakure worked on this together. They clearly didn't work _against_ each other, so much is certain. While Kumo took the sixtails, it seems Iwa's plan was to take both the Byakugan and Sharingan."

Akari's heart sank at the pause her teacher took. It was clear he prepared himself to deliver bad news to them. Awful news.

"Is Inori fine?" Akari asked. She had to hear it.

Hashirama slowly nodded. "But I'm afraid Kagami didn't make it. He got fatally wounded in battle. And Iwa later fled with his head and the Sharingan."

Akari swallowed, her eyes sank. She wanted to look at Tobirama, but she couldn't. So she stared at the floor instead.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said into the room, at no one in particular.

"I'm still glad that at least we didn't lose you too, Akari. And I have to thank you for that, brother. I'm sorry I failed you in return."

The door was pushed open. Akari's father stormed inside and wrapped his arms around his daughter. Her brother Haruto and cousin Emiko quickly followed. More Hyuuga members waited in front of the door.

Her father's words barely reached her. She wanted to stay with Tobirama and Hashirama, but her father took her away, home.

* * *

At the Hyuuga compound, Akari convinced her father to let her take a bath first of all. He insisted on her seeing a medic-nin first, but Akari eventually won the argument saying that she didn't want to meet a doctor smelling all sweaty with undone hair.

Emiko wanted to join her, rub her back, but Akari made sure to dismiss her too. She wanted to be alone.

She rinsed her hair and body before sitting down in the tub. The water was hot.

She took a deep breath. Her head was spinning. The bathroom was so familiar, the water itself smelled just like it always had. Yet she felt that somehow, she had ended up in the wrong life. Somewhere along their journey, the Hiraishin must have teleported them into another reality. The last three days felt too surreal.

Her heart was beating fast, and no matter how much she tried to control her breathing, it wouldn't slow down.

She sank into the water until her head was completely submerged and only came up again when she needed air to breathe.

"Akari!" She heard Emiko's voice call out to her. "You shouldn't stay in the water too long. Your Lord Father is expecting you."

Akari took another deep breath and straightened her back before leaving the tub. What had happened on their journey she now had to forget. She'd have to hold her head high and pretend that she was the daughter her father wanted.

* * *

The initial gratefulness her father felt when Akari returned safely to Konoha vanished quickly. What followed were hour-long lectures filled with "I told you so," "you were being careless," and "this is why a member of the main family is not supposed to go on missions."

"From now on, you will stay in Konoha, with your guardian," he eventually concluded.

Akari remained calm. This wasn't the first time she had heard these words. And by the time her ankle would be healed, her father might have forgotten his words again.

"I apologise that I upset father," she diligently said. It was no more than an empty phrase she didn't expect her father to react to.

Yet he turned to her, with an angry but pained expression and said, "I'm not upset, Akari. I'm -"

For a moment, he was lost for words. It irritated her.

"I was desperate, Akari. I was certain you were gone. Forever."

"But I'm not gone. I am here, and well."

"You were being lucky," he immediately said. "You might as well be a prisoner in Iwagakure now. You and those two perfect eyes of yours."

"I was not being lucky," she protested. "I freed myself."

"You are only here because Lord Tobirama risked his life to carry you half across the country! We will have to go and properly thank him tomorrow."

Akari remained quiet. This argument she knew would go nowhere. So she lowered her head a bit more and continued to listen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tobirama sat at the desk in his office and stared at piles of documents in front of him. He didn't touch any. His mind was blank. He'd felt anxious returning to Konoha with Akari, but any feelings he'd had were now replaced with a strange emptiness.

Tobirama's last few years in Konoha had been fairly blessed. Life was not perfect, but life was good enough to have him forget just so slightly what sudden loss felt like.

He took the mission report again. He'd already read it and put aside, but couldn't quite keep his eyes off it. So he opened the first page.

He found nothing new, nothing he didn't already know. The words didn't change. Neither did the past.

He threw it to the side once more and decided to see what his brother was doing.

* * *

The door to Hashirama's office wasn't completely closed and Tobirama could hear voices coming from inside. He walked slower, and approached quietly. Next to the door he stopped.

"If this mission has shown me anything, it is that we need Madara back." It was his brother speaking. He sounded agitated.

"And if this mission has shown us anything, it is that we should not have gone in the first place. The risk was too high. And for what? Giving Sunagakure their Jinchuuriki back? A beast they can't control anyway?"

This voice Tobirama knew as well. It was one of the higher ranking Uchiha. A man who'd announced himself Inori's advisor after Madara left. He wondered if the Uchiha heiress was present as well, or if she even knew of this meeting.

"They are our allies," Hashirama firmly said.

"They are useless allies if they can't even keep their own jinchuuriki safe." The man's voice was harsh.

"They are still allies. The Hidden Villages won't bring us peace if we do not foster our relationships with our neighbours."

"We Uchiha accepted to join this village to not have to compete with your clan for the daimyo's missions. We weren't just looking for peace, we were looking for financial gain and we made that very clear," a woman said. She was slightly calmer, but she wasn't Inori.

Tobirama knew that financial gain had not been on Madara's or Hashirama's head when they founded Konoha. But Madara could not speak for his whole clan, despite being their head. And it was true that finances and economy were one of the arguments they'd used to convince everyone.

"We are Uchiha. We don't mind war, nor do we mind giving our life in war. But that doesn't mean we are throwing our lives away blindly for someone else. There was no gain for us in this mission. You are just making us throw our lives away in vain."

"I would never throw the life of my people away. Sunagakure are our allies. We need them if we want to keep the peace that -"

The Uchiha man interrupted him. "What good is peace? We are shinobi. War is our life. We should have gone after the jinchuuriki ourselves. We should have brought Mito and take the bijuu for ourselves. At least then this mission would have had a purpose. Kagami would have died for a purpose!"

Tobirama quickly straightened himself when he heard them go for the door and pretended he had only just arrived. The two Uchiha stopped when they spotted him. A hint of surprise was on their face.

"You returned," the woman noted. "The Hyuuga heiress?"

"Back and well," Tobirama shortly replied.

The man snorted. He wasn't relieved. He was bitter that his clan was the only one who'd lost a member.

Part of Tobirama was ready to point out their disrespectful behaviour. But he was too tired. So he let them leave and entered his brother's office.

"Tobirama," his brother said, surprised to see him. "I assume you heard our conversation?"

"Part of it, at least."

Hashirama sighed in defeat as he dropped back into his chair. A hand ran through his long dark hair. "I'm just glad you brought Akari back. Otherwise I would now have this same conversation with the Hyuuga too."

Tobirama didn't know how to reply. He'd come to his brother's office in search for a distraction. But his brother looked even more tired than him. There was a big line of worry on his otherwise unusually young-looking face. Hashirama had been blessed with the better part of the Senju genes. Some were sure he'd live for hundreds or even thousands of years, just like the old Senju in legends had.

"Say, Tobi, did I mess up?"

He looked at the pictures Hashirama had arranged on top of some cabinets. They showed a plethora of happy people. Hashirama's son and wife, him and Tobirama, their deceased father and brothers, Hashirama's mother.

Hashirama only ever chose pictures that gave the impression the world was perfect. And he had somehow managed to even find a picture of their father that showed him smiling, next to his first wife.

And of course, there was a picture of him and his team. Tobirama felt like this was the first time he ever looked at it.

"You did what you thought was right. You wouldn't be Hashirama if you didn't agree to help Sunagakure. And Hashirama is the one we chose as Hokage. Konoha is built on your values, not on those of the Uchiha."

His eyes got caught on the picture with Akari for just a moment.

"No, you were right when you said I should leave Akari and Inori in the village. We almost lost both of them on that mission. The Uchiha already blame me for Kagami's death. I don't want to imagine their fury if it had been Inori instead. And the Hyuuga? Their contempt I got to feel first-hand before you returned. Akari's father basically lived in my office."

He turned away from the pictures. "Every single shinobi in this village is someone's child, niece or nephew, someone's parent and loved one. You can't protect them all, and you can't play favourites. Soon the Inuzuka, Nara, Yamanaka and everyone else will want their heir to stay away from missions too, then their second-borns and soon their first and second degree cousins as well. There'd be no one left to fight for Konoha."

"If everyone refused to fight, not just Konoha, then this world could be at peace."

There it was again, his brother's dream. And the Uchiha weren't wrong. Their village's economy strived with wars and conflicts between feudal lords.

"You are our leader. You make the decisions for this village. They have to accept that." Tobirama didn't bother sitting down. He couldn't offer his brother more of the assurance he needed.

Hashirama stood up again as well and looked out of the window. The village had grown fast in the last 10 years. "I wished I was. At days I feel more like a landlord. I can't wait for Akari and Inori to lead their clans. It will all become easier then, right?"

Tobirama's eyes fell back on the picture. Inori's arms were wrapped around both Akari and Riku, and Hashirama had his in a tight embrace around all three of them. They looked more like family than students and teacher. "Old habits and traditions aren't just changed overnight. But it seems you raised those two well. Slowly with time, they'll teach the following generations to see Konoha as part of their heritage."

Hashirama smiled. "That's the dream. Thank you, Tobi. For trying to cheer me up." He gave his brother a good pat on the shoulder, but then decided that wasn't enough and went for a tight hug. "And thank you again for bringing Akari back. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Hashirama's words made Tobirama cringe inside. He'd never been good with overly grateful people. And this time he felt like he did not deserve gratitude at all. On the contrary.

It made him wonder what his brother would say if he told him the truth.

With Hashirama's ideals, Tobirama was sure he would urge him to confess to her clan. And he might even try and arrange a marriage to set it all right again. It was nothing Tobirama wanted, and surely nothing the Hyuuga clan would want as well. It could only damage the village his brother was building.

So he slowly broke free from Hashirama and in a calm but slightly grumpy voice told him, "Don't get all sentimental. We both know this village would not function without me. So I was really just doing my job. Besides, I probably faced less trouble in the Land of Earth than you did in the Land of Stone."

Hashirama sat down again, and sighed. "Kagami was a good shinobi, and your student. I was too occupied. With the sixtails, and the Raikage. Maybe I should have given up on the tailed beast earlier. As soon as Muu appeared. I failed him, and you."

Tobirama walked towards the door. Before opening it, he said, "They are not our students anymore. We taught them how to protect themselves. So stop beating yourself up. These things happen. They always have, and they always will."

The last part wasn't what his brother wanted to hear. But it was what Tobirama believed. He fled the office before Hashirama could say anything else. He was still yearning for distraction, and this surely wasn't helping.

He went back to his own office and sat down at his desk. He looked at the paperwork, signed a few documents. His head was still clouded; his thoughts kept drifting off. He stopped again, got up, and left the building.

* * *

Shortly after, Tobirama was on a training ground. His muscles were sore and tense, and the weight of Akari's body still lingered on his shoulders like a ghost. Maybe a work-out was what he needed.

It was dark already, but that had never stopped Tobirama from training. So he started with stretching and push-ups.

Tiny drops of sweats had formed on his forehead by the time he heard someone close-by. He rose from the ground just in time to see Hiruzen and Danzo approach.

"We heard you were back," Hiruzen said. "You weren't at your office or flat, so we wondered where you might be."

Tobirama sighed. It hurt to only see two of them. But at least these two looked well. He wondered what he was supposed to say to them, and whether they expected to hear anything from him in particular.

Usually it would be Kagami who'd break the silence between them with an awkward joke.

"I'm glad to see you two are well," he eventually said.

They nodded. Then Danzo said, "Hiruzen was crying like a little girl because he was so worried."

"I did not!" Hiruzen protested.

Danzo smiled at his friend. "I'm just saying it's good sensei is back too."

To that Hiruzen agreed. Then the two young men fell silent again. Tobirama wasn't sure what to do with them.

"I had planned to go on a little run around Konoha. Want to join?"

They both nodded.

"How is Akari?" Hiruzen asked while Danzo was already stretching his legs. "We haven't heard much yet."

"She's fine," Tobirama casually answered. It felt like Hiruzen was waiting for him to continue. But it wasn't unnatural for Tobirama to be sparing with words. So he simply turned away from Hiruzen to end the conversation.

The three spent the rest of the evening together, not speaking much but focusing on working their bodies. It did help put Tobirama's mind at ease, and if there wasn't that third person missing between Hiruzen and Danzo whenever he looked at them, then returning to his old life pretending nothing had ever happened might have been easier. Just a bit.

* * *

The next day, Akari left the Hyuuga compound early together with her father, uncle, Emiko, and two crutches. They were on their way to Tobirama's office as her father thought it necessary to see his daughter's savior again and thank him. Akari would have been faster crawling down the forest ground and her broken ankle was not the reason for her pace, only the scapegoat. She wasn't exactly sure if there was a worse way to spend the morning than being in the same room with both Tobirama and her father. But she wasn't exactly in a position to complain. After all, she knew she had brought this on herself.

Her eyes immediately searched Tobirama's as she entered his office after her father. In his usually calm eyes she could spot hints of nervousness and worry. She couldn't hold it against him. Her father had simply sent a notice asking Tobirama to meet him and his daughter. The reason he did not state. And not more than an hour later, they arrived at his office.

There was no way for Tobirama to know whether Akari had told her father, or whether he had found out some other way, or not. For a moment, she was afraid he'd start the conversation with an overhasty apology that would reveal their little secret.

But Akari was not the only one in the room to read emotions quickly, and her father looked anything but a man who was prepared to kill. So Tobirama respectfully greeted the two with a short nod and asked for the details of the meeting.

"I would like to express my gratitude again, both me and my daughter. Last night was rather hectic, and I'm afraid I haven't quite thanked you enough yet."

Her father bowed, and Akari made sure to bow lower than he did. "I'm very grateful that you came to my rescue," she thanked him.

"There is hardly anything my clan could offer you that would be worth my daughter's life that you have given back to us. We are greatly indebted to you. Should there be anything at all we could do to repay you, please feel free to say so."

Tobirama's eyes switched from Akari to her father. "I appreciate your words. But there is no need to be grateful to me or repay me in any way. Your clan is part of Konoha. Naturally I'd try my hardest to bring your daughter back."

"That is very kind of you," Akari's father said. "But the offer still stands. Should you ever seek assistance of any kind, know that the Hyuuga are glad to help."

"Thank you." He nodded at her father.

The Hyuuga head was pleased this issue was taken care of. Father and daughter left the office and building again. Their small entourage had waited outside. Akari politely asked her father whether she could visit her friends before returning home. He looked grim, but agreed. He left Emiko with her and returned to their compound.

Akari waited until he was out of sight before turning to her guardian. "You don't have to come with me. I'd rather go alone."

Emiko's eyebrows rose in a concerned manner. "I don't know, Akari. Your father gave me a rather big speech today that I was to keep a close eye on you again. He'd be furious if I left you now."

Akari was not surprised. "Please, Emiko. We are in Konoha. You following me around the village is ridiculous."

Emiko considered for a while. She was torn between duty and personal loyalty. Eventually she said, "I might have a stroll around the village and meet some friends of mine too then. How about we meet in two hours and walk home together?"

Akari smiled. "Thank you. I'll go see if the Hokage is here first. I will meet you in two hours."

Emiko nodded and left.

Akari entered the building again. Instead of going to the Hokage office, she carefully looked around before knocking on Tobirama's door.

Tobirama dropped the book he was reading and jumped to his feet when his eyes spotted Akari enter alone.

She stayed by the door, leaning her crutches against the wall.

"Can I... help you with anything?" he asked. He closed the book without taking note of the page he'd looked at.

"I guess you can." Her eyes wandered around the room. The walls were covered with filled bookshelves. She took a deep breath, almost started to speak, but stopped again.

"First of all, I am very sorry about Kagami." Akari felt a weird sense of guilt concerning Kagami's death. She couldn't help but wonder whether he'd still be alive if Tobirama had been there, whether that fight had ended differently if she hadn't been abducted.

Surely, that thought had to cross Tobirama's mind as well. It made her all the more nervous to talk to him.

"No need to be," he shortly said. Tobirama sat down again and offered her the seat at the other end of his desk. "You said you needed my help?"

She approached, rested her hands on the chair, but didn't sit down. "I was wondering, would it be possible that you…" The words didn't want to leave her mouth. She took another deep breath. "Could you get some contraceptive pills for me?"

Within seconds, a bright red appeared in Tobirama's face. They stared at each other awkwardly, and both seemed to want to vanish into thin air equally.

"Can't you get those yourself? I thought we were keeping this a secret…"

"We are!" she immediately said. "But what do you expect me to do? Ask someone from my clan? Walk into the infirmary and buy them? You have access to the medical supplies, don't you? Please. I'll never ask you for anything again."

He frowned, crossed his arms, but said, "How should I deliver them to you?"

"Hide them underneath a bench in the park or something. Just don't give them to me personally."

"Fine. I'll go right away." He put the book away and organized some of the documents on his desk into piles before getting up.

"Wouldn't it be wiser to go tonight?" Akari asked, surprised. "I mean, you shouldn't let anyone see you. That'd be more than suspicious."

He scratched his head. "I thought that the matter was urgent. You shouldn't wait too long before you..." A hand wandered to his face, rubbed along his cheek and forehead as he sighed. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't be in this situation. My behavior was inexcusable and reckless. I don't know what happened to my brains."

A sad smile formed on her lips. "I'm the one who brought us into this situation," she reminded him. "So I should be the one apologizing." He was about to interrupt her when she said, "But the pills are just a precaution. So there's no need to worry. After today, everything will go back to normal."

He nodded. "It's good you came to me. We really shouldn't take any more risks." He cleared his throat, then told her where he'd hide the contraceptives for her to retrieve.

"Thank you," she politely said and slightly bowed.

Tobirama didn't say anything as she left.

Outside, Akari took a moment to lean against the wall behind her. There was no air left in her lungs. She had lost it somewhere in Tobirama's office. Once her legs felt stronger again, she went to her teacher's office. It was an alibi visit more than anything.

* * *

Akari had barely left the Hokage building when she saw Inori approach. Her friend started running as soon as she spotted her. Her arms flew around Akari into a tight embrace once she reached. Akari had to let go of her crutches to return the hug. They fell to the ground, but neither cared.

"I went to your compound as soon as I heard you were back, but they said you had gone to the Hokage office." Inori was speaking fast. Her face was filled with both a deep relief and pain. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Akari gave her the best smile she could manage. "I was just on my way to you. I'm sorry I couldn't see you yet, but my father was pretty upset last night. Today he made me go thank Lord Tobirama for saving me first thing in the morning."

"No, no. Don't apologise. I'm just so glad you are back." Inori hugged her again. "So, so glad. I was so worried about you, and I felt awful for leaving you and Riku back then. I should have been with you."

Akari rubbed her friend's back. They stayed like that for a bit. Inori's hands remained on Akari's arms even after the hug ended.

Now that she truly got to look at her teammate, she noticed the cut and bruises on her face, and the bandage on her arm.

"Nothing that won't heal again," Inori said when she noticed her concern. She let go of her and picked up the crutches to hand them back to Akari. "What about you?"

"Just a broken ankle and some bruises here and there."

"You need to tell me everything. Are you free?"

Akari nodded. This talk was nothing she was looking forward to, but she knew there was hardly a way around. Inori was perceptive, and out of all the people in Konoha, Inori knew her best. If there was someone who would find out about Tobirama and her, it had to be Inori.

"Should we go to Riku? He's been dying from worry too. He kept thinking it was his fault that they took you."

She nodded. Riku was good at drawing attention away from others and to him. Especially Inori's.

They walked down the road together. Konoha seemed calm and lively at the same time. And while Akari's life felt like it was turned upside down, the village was unchanged. She saw the same trees and benches as they passed the park, the same children playing on the streets next to the school. The same shops, same buildings, and the same wall holding it all together.

Some shinobi they met on their way would stop and talk to them. They'd express their relief that Akari was back and their deep regret that Kagami was gone. Both girls smiled nicely and thanked them for their words.

One time, when they were in a quiet part of Konoha, Akari stopped her friend to speak.

"I'm also sorry about Kagami," she said, and she truly meant it. "I heard last night from Hashirama-sensei. Do you want to talk about it?"

Inori shook her head, but Akari could clearly see the pain in her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't even want to think about it. All I want is to erase that day from existence. So yes, I'm sure." She forced a smile. "But at least we didn't lose you too."

It wasn't exactly something Akari was too happy about herself. It strengthened her feeling that Tobirama had saved her over the others. It almost felt like she'd been better off being abducted while the others stayed back to fight for their lives. The fact she even ended up enjoying part of their journey back to Konoha sprouted the most guilt in her.

* * *

Riku lived in a traditional-styled wooden house in the outskirts of Konoha. It had been a wedding gift from the Senju clan, whom his wife belonged to. He'd come to Konoha one day with no more than some clothes and a lunch package from his mother. And while his home in Konoha was tiny compared to the huge clan compounds and mansions, it was still more than the average citizen could ever hope to achieve. And a castle for a farmer's boy like Riku.

A clanless boy, taught by Hashirama Senju himself. Hashirama hadn't chosen to take him in simply because of his talent for ninjutsu. He wanted to set an example: not only clans could produce strong shinobi.

And Riku had set an example for sure.

"I don't think he knows yet that you are back." Inori smiled as she knocked on the door.

Riku really didn't know. He opened the door with his elbow as he held a big bowl of dough in his hand, kneading it with his other. Flour stuck to his pants and cheek.

"Is this for real?" he asked before pulling his hand out of dough to go for a hug.

For a second time that day, Akari found herself almost getting squashed by a teammate.

"Couldn't you have washed your hands first?" she murmured, but she didn't actually stop him. Despite getting flour all over her dress as well.

Riku flooded her with questions while inviting them inside. Akari didn't get to answer any of them because Riku kept asking more and more. Sakumo was sleeping in the living room. Inori went straight to his crib to fawn over him.

They all sat down together. Riku and Inori carefully listened as Akari told them of her journey over a cup of tea. The story ended when Tobirama and her reached the Land of Fire.

"I can't believe you two fought Muu too," Riku said. "I hate that guy. I hope Hashirama-sensei will call for his head. He deserves it."

Inori had stayed unusually quiet during Akari's account. Now for the first time she said, "He won't. We breached the neutrality agreement first by crossing the borders without permit to chase after the Jinchuuriki. They'd just render Konoha hostile if our Hokage would ask for amends."

"Has Hashirama-sensei said anything about the matter yet?" Akari asked. She didn't want to come to any conclusions, after all she barely knew what had even happened yet. But what Inori said made sense to her, and she could imagine that the incident would simply be filed as a failed mission. After all, revenge for the death of a single shinobi was not more important than general peace.

"He doesn't have to. It's obvious that Konoha will just have to accept it. And Kagami's death will…" She shook her head, then got up. "There is no use discussing this. Weren't you cooking when we barged in, Riku? Need help with anything?"

"Oh, yeah. Kumi is visiting her parents so I'm preparing lunch for later. Baking some bread for now. But you don't have to help."

"But I want to!"

Riku frowned. "Your cooking is almost as bad as Akari's. I can't feed that to my beloved wife."

"Excuse me?" Both his teammates said in unison.

Riku chuckled, and before they could complain he said, "Actually, if you two could look after Sakumo real quick. I have some things I still need to buy, so I'll go run to the market." He fumbled out a shopping list from his pockets. "I didn't want to wake him so far. You know, sleeping babies are the best."

Inori snatched the list from him. "I'll go buy it. You two can catch up some more." Without wasting any time, Inori vanished and left the house to go shopping. Akari and Riku were left behind in the living room.

Riku sighed. "I hadn't noted down eggs yet."

"Is Inori alright?" Akari carefully asked.

Riku shrugged. "I hope so. She hasn't really talked to me. But Kagami died and you were gone too, so… It's not like I expected her to be alright. Maybe she'll feel better again now that you are back."

"What happened after I was taken by those Iwa shinobi? How did Kagami die?" It was nothing she'd wanted to ask while Inori was present.

He leaned back on the sofa and stared up at the wall. "It all looked doable until that Muu guy appeared."

"From Iwa?"

He nodded. "Everyone from Suna who was still alive was dead a second later. Except for Minoru. We figured out they were after Inori quite quickly, so we tried to protect her, and Kagami too, but we couldn't possibly fight someone we couldn't see."

Akari's heart sank. She could have seen him. If only she'd been there.

"I'm not quite sure what happened then. We fought for a while. Inori, Tobirama's team and me against Muu and his team while Hashirama and Minoru tried to keep Kumo from taking the sixtails. We had Inori and Kagami mostly stay out of the fight to defend themselves from Muu while we got rid of the others." Riku sighed. "I don't know. Maybe they were getting rid of us instead. Next thing I know is that Inori was screaming and Kagami collapsed."

It was silent in the living room. Riku took some time before he continued.

"When Muu tried to take Inori, Hashirama finally gave up on the sixtails and decided to keep her safe instead. But Kagami bled out quickly. There was nothing we could do."

Akari looked down. In the end, they lost both the sixtails and Kagami. And that made it hard to appreciate that everyone else returned to Konoha alive. It could have ended much worse, but it still felt like the worst case scenario.

"At least the fight we won with Hashirama. But once they realised they couldn't get Inori, they settled for Kagami's head. Ran off with it." His breathing became slow and controlled. He put a hand in front of his mouth. "I've never seen a person without a head, Akari. It looked so… wrong."

Akari had. It was quite a common practice when stealing eyes. It ensured they didn't get damaged, and carrying a head was much easier than carrying a whole body. It was the one good part about the caged-bird seal. Enemies stopped bothering since the seal destroyed the eyes anyway after death.

She softly stroked Riku's shoulder.

Sakumo started crying. Riku's attitude immediately changed as his son pulled him away from his thoughts and back to reality. He got up and took him in his arms.

"He must be getting hungry. Kumi should be back soon."

It seemed their conversation was over, at least for now. Akari thought it would be a good moment to say goodbye, and she also had to pay attention to not make Emiko wait. But she couldn't possibly leave before Inori was back.

"Could you hold him for a moment? I need to check on the bread." Riku was already handing the baby to her.

Akari defensively held her hands up in front of her, so he wouldn't simply drop him onto her. She tried to explain she'd rather be the one to do whatever the bread needed her to do, but Riku wasn't really the sensible and considerate type, so she ended up with little Sakumo in her arms anyway. Despite really not wanting to hold him.

The boy looked discontent and there was a big baby frown on his eyebrows. His hands rubbed around his face aimlessly.

Akari was frozen in place. There was something weirdly scary about displeased babies, and it felt like one wrong move or glance would make him cry out at the top of his little lungs.

The sight of the infant reminded her of her last conversation with Tobirama. It let yet another fear grow in her, one that ran much deeper.

Sakumo calmly went back to sleep in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for sticking around for so long :)
> 
> I guess this chapter sort of concludes "Part 1" of the story. Spent the last week writing a 15k words outline for the next 10 chapters, haha. So if you are wondering how much more is yet to come, I can tell you: a lot. ... Because somehow my stories always end up longer than expected. Woops.
> 
> Next chapter might take a bit longer to upload though since I got a bit of real life stuff to do and this seems like a good point to pre-write a bit.
> 
> But yeah, I hope you guys are ready to see a bit of other characters again now that the story is back in Konoha!
> 
> Stay safe everyone :)


	13. A Letter and a Kunai

Weeks passed in which Tobirama and Akari barely interacted with each other. Akari would formally greet him when they met each other by chance, and Tobirama would acknowledge the greeting with a short nod. But apart from that, there was nothing.

With Akari's ankle injured, she spent most of her time at the Hyuuga compound and neither trained nor took on any missions. Tobirama occupied himself with paperwork and barely left his office. Their lives hardly differed much as Akari's father thought the circumstances were ideal to teach his daughter more about finances and bureaucracy. So Akari ended up sitting in front of paperwork most of the days herself.

One day, Akari was sorting through some documents on her father's desk when a letter sparked her interest. She immediately recognised the stamps and seals on it. It was from the Mizukage. From Kirigakure. It had already been opened, so she read it.

The content of the letter came as no surprise. Ever since the clans in the Land of Water founded their own Hidden Village, the Mizukage held the strong belief that the Hyuuga ought to abandon Konoha and return to their homeland. So every now and then, her father received a letter asking them to join Kirigakure. First, they had been worded politely and were a mere suggestion, then the Mizukage started making offers and promises - new land, funds, political positions. But the tone changed over the years. And instead of bribery, this one contained several threats.

She put the letter away again, but the message stayed on her mind.

Her father was sitting in the living room and enjoyed a cup of tea when Akari found him.

She sat down on a cushion next to him. The door to the gardens was open, and her father was watching birds enjoying themselves in a bird bath.

"You didn't notify me that Kirigakure had written another letter," she eventually said.

"I didn't think it was a matter you had to concern yourself with," he answered shortly.

"Have you talked to the Hokage about this? If Kirigakure truly were to attack Konoha -"

"I have, Akari." He interrupted her. "The matter is taken care of. These are just empty threats. Kirigakure knows better than to start a war with Konoha over a bloodline."

She fell silent. Clearly this was nothing her father wanted to discuss with her. But she was the heiress, the next head of their clan. This matter ought to concern her too.

"The Mizukage acts like our clan owes him loyalty. But we don't," her father added with bitterness in his voice.

The Land of Water was Akari's place of birth. Yet she could barely remember anything about it. The vast sea, and the smell of water and salt were all that remained. And since her father had packed his things and moved the whole clan to Konoha, Akari had never gone to the Land of Water again. It was no more than a foreign country.

But her father had lived there for most of his life. Their clan longer than anyone could remember. Their history lay in the Water.

"Have you finished the finance accounts yet?" he asked to change the topic.

"I have. Do you want me to deliver them to the Hokage? I was going to meet my teammates soon anyway, so it really wouldn't be a bother." Akari had started to deliver documents to the Hokage building whenever possible. It offered her a reason to leave their compound, and it offered an opportunity to, maybe, run into Tobirama. Even if they never talked.

* * *

At the Hokage building, Akari went to Hashirama's office and handed over the documents.

He thanked her, but when he looked through them said, "Ah, finances. Sends a shiver down my spine. Anyway, I guess these are for my brother."

"Do you want me to bring them to him?" she casually asked.

"Oh, thank you. But Tobi isn't here. I'll keep them for him." He took them and threw them on a pile of unsorted papers and documents that lay in a corner.

Akari slightly frowned at the sight. Her father surely would get mad to know the Hokage left the accounts of their clan's finances laying in a corner. But while she loved nagging Riku for his perceived faults, it was different with her former teacher.

So she thanked him and left.

Outside, her eyes observed the area. They couldn't find what they were looking for. Akari hardly admitted it to herself, but whenever she was walking around the village, her eyes were looking for Tobirama. The night they had shared with each other was still on her mind, even when it shouldn't. She wondered whether it was still on his mind too.

Inori and Riku were already standing in front of a ramen shop having a lively conversation when Akari arrived.

"How is your ankle, Akari?" Riku asked as he watched her lean her crutches against the wall and sit down.

"Oh, it's pretty much healed. But I'm not supposed to put too much weight on it yet. Just in case."

They all ordered a noodle soup and Inori and Riku continued their conversation from earlier. Akari mostly listened, and threw in one or two remarks about Riku's table manners. She couldn't understand how it never bothered Inori when he spoke to her while still munching on noodles at the same time.

Inori eventually turned to her with a smug grin on her face. In a low voice, she said, "Have you heard that the sixtails broke out in Kumogakure? Apparently the seal was too weak and the vessel surrendered to it. A ton of casualties before they managed to reseal it. Serves them right."

"Maybe it'll break out a second time," Riku commented, wishful.

"At least the gods are bringing us justice," Inori added.

Akari stayed quiet. She knew that Inori had prayed for something like this to happen. The Uchiha weren't exactly the most forgiving clan when it came to the deaths of their members. And she could understand her feelings. Everyone always wanted justice.

But justice was a very flexible term. And in this case involved the deaths of hundreds of civilians, who most likely hadn't even known that the sixtails was held in their village.

They continued talking about the next mission Inori was assigned to until eventually, Hiruzen walked past the ramen shop and spotted them.

Hiruzen and Tobirama were closely linked in Akari's mind, so her thoughts instantly skipped to the latter. She hadn't seen Tobirama in a few days, and it made her wonder what he was doing. Though that wasn't exactly something she could ask Hiruzen.

"Are you training again today?" Inori asked him after they all greeted each other.

He nodded. "Tobirama-sensei said he might teach us the Shadow Clone jutsu. We want to be prepared."

That again sparked Akari's interest. "The Shadow Clone jutsu?"

It wasn't the first time Tobirama tried to teach that jutsu to his students. But after Kagami ended up in hospital the last time around and nearly died, the Hokage forbade the jutsu from being taught to anyone again.

"Yes, he said he improved it. And our chakra control obviously improved too since last time. So the Hokage allowed it."

"I've seen them quite a few times on the training grounds." Inori said to Akari, then turned to Hiruzen. "It feels like you guys are training all day long. But I have to admit, I'm slightly jealous. It's not like Hashi-sensei could ever teach us the Wood Clones. Shadow Clones seem so much more progressive since they don't need any nature transformation at all."

Hiruzen's glance was on Inori, then fell on Akari sitting next to her. "I could ask if you two could join as well once Tobirama-sensei's back. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Takuma will also join us."

"Really?" Inori asked, delighted. The expression on her face was enough of an answer.

"Once he's back?" Akari didn't even know that he was gone. It reminded her how utterly disconnected their lives were.

"Yes, he went to the capital, a meeting with the daimyo."

"I see. Thanks for the offer," she politely said. She felt just like Inori about the prospect of learning Tobirama's jutsu. And not only because it involved Tobirama. But there was also more than one reason that immediately popped into her head as to why this would be a bad idea. So she added, "But I'm afraid I have to pass."

Hiruzen seemed slightly disappointed by the answer. Then promised Inori he'd ask and continued to be on his way.

Riku threw dark glances after him. "How come only you two ever get offered these things? It's like I wasn't even here just now. Everyone always gives free shit to you guys when I'm the only one here who could use that."

Inori only gave him a short cheeky grin before turning to Akari again. "Why not join us though? I don't think you'll need both feet to learn Shadow Clones."

"You know how my father is," Akari calmly answered. She wasn't even lying. "He barely tolerates me learning jutsu he doesn't know himself. I doubt he'd be happy with me learning the Shadow Clones out of all things." But deep inside, she did wonder if, maybe, she could join them too.

"You don't really want to study Shadow Clones from Tobirama, do you?" Riku asked Inori as soon as Hiruzen was completely gone.

"Why wouldn't I? It's a strong jutsu."

"But… it's Tobirama. You know, never smiles or jokes and does weird experiments in his basement. And he…" Riku didn't finish the sentence.

"He?" Inori asked, but Riku only averted his eyes.

"Killed your father," Akari said in his stead. "I think that's what Riku is trying to say."

Inori smiled. "It's not like I remember anything about my father. If it hadn't been for my uncle telling me, I wouldn't even know how he died."

Riku wasn't convinced, but Inori went on to tell him that Konoha was built on forgiveness. And if Madara could forgive Tobirama for killing Izuna, so could she.

"Did you also forgive Takuma for basically dumping you? Spending your day with those two - awkward."

"Takuma didn't dump me. Besides, as someone who doesn't think too highly of arranged marriages, I would have thought you'd be happy about it."

"Well, I'm simply saying you don't deserve to be dumped."

Inori shook her head and sighed. "More importantly, I'm worried about Hiruzen and Danzo. Every time I see them, they are training. You know, the crazy-type of training."

"They lost a teammate and friend. I guess everyone copes differently," Akari said. She put her empty ramen bowl away and carefully placed the chopsticks next to it.

"Or maybe they are just bullheads who can't see the other doing better than themself. They've always been like that," Riku said.

"True," Inori agreed. "They are a bit like twins. What one does, the other does too. Only better."

"More like rivals," Riku said. "Always trying to outdo the other."

"Brotherly rivals."

"Rivalrous brothers."

They both chuckled.

Akari rolled her eyes and sighed. Their shared humour was something she could never quite grasp.

"But in all seriousness," Inori continued. "They should take a break once in a while. Especially if they want to learn the Shadow Clones jutsu. It's not like that one is easy on one's chakra reserves."

"You just feel bad looking at them because you've been slagging off. Remember that dessert plate you ordered last time we had dinner?" Riku laughed, but immediately earned loud protest from Inori for his words.

"What am I supposed to do when my main training's partner has a broken ankle? You are busy every time I ask you to go for a run together. You are lazy yourself!" A pout formed on her lips as she sipped away the last bit of broth left in her bowl. But it quickly vanished again as a different thought sparked her mind. "Maybe Akari could help Hiruzen take his mind off of things a bit." Her voice made it clear that she was teasing.

"What? Why would I?"

"Aww, come on. I met Hiruzen like three times last week when they were training, and he did not once offer me to join. But now that you are here…" She put an arm around her friend and pulled Akari closer.

"It is pretty obvious that he likes you," Riku agreed.

"Stop it!" Akari protested. "I don't need to hear this. I'm a Hyuuga and I'm not interested."

Inori started ruffling her hair. "Come on, I told you before. There is nothing wrong with having some fun. I'll make sure your father won't find out."

Akari pulled away from her and tried her best to save her hairstyle. "I just can't with you sometimes. Stop imitating Hashirama-sensei's bad habits!"

Inori laughed lightly and let go of her friend again. An annoyed look stayed on Akari's face, but she was glad to see Inori cheerful. She'd worried that Kagami's death would haunt her.

They finished their dinner, and Inori decided that the next day, she would join Tobirama's training if he allowed it. She asked Riku too whether he'd come, but he passed just like Akari.

They said goodbye to each other and Akari went on her way back home.

She wondered whether she should ask her father about the Shadow Clones. But then she wondered whether Tobirama would even want to teach her. Then she wondered for the hundredth time how Inori would react if she told her the truth about Tobirama. But she couldn't tell her, that she knew. She had basically promised Tobirama. And it was for the best, because that night would never happen again.

It slowly dawned on her that she could hardly continue like this. She couldn't keep trying to see him. Not weeks after they were back from their journey together, back to their lives. It was too distracting. And pointless as well. So she decided to stop. Right then and there. She decided that she didn't need the Shadow Clone jutsu.

The next time her father prepared documents that needed delivery, she stayed quiet, and waited until her brother happily accepted the task.

* * *

Akari could walk without crutches again by the time Konoha's anniversary approached. It was a day on which Hashirama liked to invite all clan heads for dinner and drinks to celebrate their unity and village.

But it was also the day Inori returned from a mission. She'd been gone for a few days with two other shinobi. Her absence reminded Akari that now that her ankle was healed, she would have to explain to her father that he couldn't occupy her with paperwork any longer. She would go on missions again, outside of Konoha's walls.

As expected, Akari hit a wall in their conversation. One that was even bigger than Konoha's.

"You are not going" and "we are not discussing this" were her father's favourite phrases.

It left Akari angry. "I'm a Konoha shinobi. I ought to go on missions," she argued, but her father barely engaged in the conversation.

He didn't even look at her when he repeated, again, that she was not going on any missions any time soon and continued reading his book.

"In the end, it's the Hokage's decision whether he deploys me or not." Her voice was harsh. She wanted to get some sort of reaction out of her father, but there was none. He didn't take his eyes off the book.

She stared at him, still waiting. He slowly turned a page. Then, finally, he looked up.

"Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

She took a deep breath, and with a "No, father," left the room and house.

Not long after, Akari knocked at the door of Hashirama's office.

The Hokage was happy to see her and greeted her with an excited, "Are you looking forward to tonight?"

Akari ignored his question. "Have you talked to my father?"

Hashirama's face told her everything she had to know. Still he tried to avoid her question. "Well, you need to be more specific. Of course your father and I talk every once in a while."

"He convinced you to not assign me to any missions, didn't he," she concluded.

"Listen, Akari-chan. Your father is only worried that you are going back to work too quickly. The medic also said you should take it easy for a few more weeks."

"The medic?" She snorted. "They would say anything my father wants to hear. If that is the base of your argumentation, then my foot is still needing rest in a year's time."

Hashirama sighed. "I'm sorry, but I agreed with him. There is no reason to take any risks with your health."

Akari was about to turn on her heels and leave without saying a word, but then still managed an overly polite smile accompanied by a "Thank you, Lord Hokage."

Hashirama watched her leave, sighing again. He knew she was anything but content with him and her situation. And her smile right there was scary enough. It reminded him of Mito's whenever she saw him drink too much during official meetings. He chuckled to himself, wondering if tonight would be another one of those nights.

* * *

Akari was sitting on a bench in the Uchiha compound. She didn't feel like going home again just yet. Inori had been caught up in a clan meeting, so she was just sitting there, waiting.

A young Uchiha child walked past her with his mother and stared at her eyes with a face full of wonder. Uchiha and Hyuuga, their eyes surely looked almost the opposite. For one clan they were almost black, for the other almost white. Yet old legends said that they were once the same.

The child's mother greeted her politely, knowing that she was Inori's friend. All of Konoha knew.

Not long after, Inori appeared. She apologized for the wait and the two went on a walk together.

"Can you believe it?" Inori soon started ranting. "I get this mission to 'retrieve stolen goods' for this Lord Who-Ever and do you know what those 'goods' were?" She didn't wait for Akari to actually make a guess. "His wife! Ran off with another lord. And then he expected me to kill that guy. Who does he think he is? None of that was even mentioned in the application he gave us. So I walked out on him too. Totally could understand his wife. He had such an attitude."

"At least you get to go on missions," Akari shortly replied.

"Oh, come on. Going on missions isn't that great, as I have just pointed out to you. He even refused to pay. Idiot."

"That's not the point. My father keeps making decisions for me. I'm the next clan head. He should trust me more, shouldn't he?"

"He's your father. It's only natural he's worried about you. That's what fathers do." She stopped for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, at least I guess that's what they do. Not like I have any first-hand experiences."

They ended up at one of the shrines that belonged to the Uchiha compound. And since they were already talking of dead fathers, Inori decided to offer a few ryou and a prayer. Akari joined her.

There was a moment of silence between them as they both stood in front of the shrine. A statue of Amaterasu stood on one side, a statue of Tsukuyomi on the other.

When she was done praying, Inori said, "You know, if you really want to be clan head, I'll gift you my position. Because if I have to listen to one more complaint about other clan's getting better missions, I swear…"

Akari smiled, then looked up at the sun. "Sorry for complaining. I should probably head home though. I wouldn't want to be late tonight. See you later?"

Inori and Akari said goodbye and went their separate ways.

At home, Emiko was already waiting for Akari. She was excited to do her cousin's hair for the evening, and always had fun coming up with new hair styles. Akari hardly minded. At least Emiko didn't talk about clan business or the upcoming evening, but chattered about a guy she had met in the village instead. She recounted their whole conversation in detail while carefully pinning up Akari's hair.

Akari looked at herself in the mirror. Emiko fawning over a man who was no Hyuuga made her remember Tobirama. And she knew that this evening, she'd meet him again. It'd be the first time in forever that they would actually spend in the same room, with the same circle of people.

* * *

The dinner took place at Hashirama's favourite izakaya. He had reserved a whole room with three big tables. Seating happened sort of freely, with everyone sticking to some unspoken rules.

Hashirama sat at the centre of his table, to his right side was his brother, to his left his wife and then son. Takuma had brought his wife as well. She quietly sat next to him, hands folded nervously in her lap. She was the only person in the whole room who was not a trained shinobi, apart from the waiter, and one could tell she was well aware of the fact that she was the odd one out.

At the Hokage's table also sat the Uchiha, Hyuuga and Sarutobi. Those three clans, together with the Senju that were being represented by the Hokage himself, formed the core of Konoha. They were considered the strongest, the most prestigious.

Inori was the youngest head. Or rather she was the representative of the Uchiha's clan head. It was the first year Madara was missing during the village's anniversary. While most clan heads attended with their spouses and children, Inori brought two of her advisors, two men much older than her. They belonged to the same clan, but were no direct relatives. Those were all dead, apart from Madara. And with him not having a wife and children, the Uchiha's main family had grown dangerously small.

Even Riku arrived with Kumiko and Sakumo. Hashirama had insisted that his student brought his lovely wife and the heir to the newly founded Hatake clan. As soon as the Hokage lay eyes on the little baby, his voice was two pitches higher as he tickled Sakumo to make him laugh. It was hard to believe that this was the man who held the ninetails locked up inside of him.

Akari sat down next to her father, and her brother sat down next to her. Whether her brother Haruto had been asked to join as a son or as a guard only their father knew. She glanced across the table, and found Tobirama sitting there, almost right opposite of her. It made it impossible for their eyes to not meet every now and then.

But Akari knew that missing eye contact could be just as telling as embarrassed glances. So she accepted that this one night, Tobirama would be part of her life again, or rather, part of her dinner table.

For dinner they shared several small dishes. Whoever wanted to order was invited by Hashirama to do so. Akari sat back and let the others decide. She couldn't help taking note of the dishes Tobirama chose. A plate of sashimi, grilled-fish skewers, seaweed salad and vegetables.

Hashirama had Sakumo on his lap while they waited for the food. Him and some of the other heads were admiring the smiles the baby threw at them.

"This reminds me of the time Takuma was this small." Hashirama laughed in delight. "Makes me wish I had another one this small too."

Mito quietly took a sip of water.

Hashirama laughed again. "We can only hope our grandchild will be as cute as little Sakumo-chan."

The other heads assured him that surely that would be the case. After all, that child would eventually be heir to the Senju clan. And some even hinted at there was a good chance of it being Hokage in the future. But that was something no one directly voiced out loud. Hashirama had his own plans to choose an Uchiha next, one particular Uchiha, but many in Konoha considered the Senju family the founders and thus leaders of Konoha and no one else.

Tobirama never looked at Sakumo and seemed to be one of the only people at the table who wasn't charmed by the baby. He carefully studied the drinking menu again, then engaged in a short conversation with Hiruzen and Danzo, who sat next to him.

Akari decided to do the same and started a conversation with her brother and Inori.

Every now and then, her eyes would pass Tobirama, and linger on him for just a second longer than they should.

* * *

Soon the whole room was conversing with one another, most of the time with a lot of laughter and animated gesticulation. The table with the Inuzuka was the loudest and liveliest, and the Inuzuka clan was big enough in numbers to fill half the spots themselves. Their head Isao had brought his three daughters, two sons and a wife who was pregnant with their sixth child. Two dogs lay under the table and took a nap.

On his way to the bathroom, Isao stopped at Akari's table. He put a hand on Tobirama's shoulder and said, "I heard you are teaching your students the Shadow Clone jutsu. Who's proven the most gifted so far?"

"They are all very talented," Tobirama replied. He knew better than to give a table full of clan heads reason to argue over individual skill.

Akari's father glanced at her, and she wondered whether he'd be questioning why she never asked him for permission to join as well.

The Inuzuka's remark still sparked a discussion about the Shadow Clones. It eventually led to Isao, again, questioning why it was the Senju, Uchiha and Sarutobi were learning the jutsu, but not the Hyuuga.

Everyone eyed either Tobirama or the Hyuuga head to wait for an answer.

"Have the Hyuuga fallen out of favour?" Isao was laughing to make sure everyone understood he was joking. Yet the atmosphere at the table still grew slightly tense.

Tobirama looked at Akari; his eyes focused directly on hers. "Akari could gladly join us as well. If she wanted to."

It sent a wisp of excitement down her spine, though she didn't let it show on her face. She knew that this was what Tobirama was supposed to say.

"I think we'd rather wait until we know that the jutsu is safe," her father calmly intervened.

"The jutsu is safe if used properly," Tobirama immediately returned.

"Didn't that boy Kagami once end up in hospital after using it?" her father replied.

Akari poured herself some more tea and took a sip while observing their interaction. It felt strangely personal to her, even though she knew that Tobirama was defending his jutsu and not her.

"Chakra exhaustion is a risk, obviously," he said. "But I have improved on the jutsu since. Someone with excellent chakra control should not face serious health risks."

Her father kept quiet, but she could see in his face that his opinion had already been formed and wasn't going to change. It was just like she had expected. Even if she had asked, he wouldn't have allowed it.

One of the Uchiha frowned at Tobirama's words. "Are you implying Kagami had bad chakra control?"

Isao, who was responsible for the discussion, left and returned to his own table, which had a much more enjoyable atmosphere.

"Please, that is not what the Hokage said," Inori said in a stern voice. "And we both know that Kagami indeed had other strengths."

The conversation ended there, with no one truly content with how it turned out.

Akari quietly continued to sip her tea. She had refrained from voicing her opinion on the Shadow Clones. No matter how often she rose against her father in their own four walls, she'd been taught better than to act the same in public. So she swallowed the bitterness her earlier conversation with her father had left and reached for the bowl of vegetables instead to get another serving. Her heart skipped a beat when suddenly, her hand touched Tobirama's, who had gone for more vegetables too.

"I'm sorry, go ahead," she politely said.

Tobirama already had his hand pulled back. "No, you go first."

She put some vegetables on her plate, less than she had intended now that she knew Tobirama wanted some as well. Then she directly handed him the bowl. Again, their fingers touched just so slightly.

As soon as Tobirama had the bowl, she took her eyes off him, and started a conversation with someone else. But he did stay on her mind, and she couldn't help glancing at him every now and then from the corner of her eyes.

* * *

The evening went on and Kumiko soon took Sakumo home with her. Dinner was over and Hashirama was excited to announce that the drinking part would now start.

He ordered a round of sake for everyone to toast.

Akari looked at the small cup, then took a sip. It tasted bitter.

"You should try plum wine," Sasuke Sarutobi told her across the table. "It's sweeter. My daughter's favourite."

"Also Hiruzen's favourite," Danzo murmured into his hand with a sly smile on his face. He sat next to Hiruzen, and was invited not only as Tobirama's student, but as a part of the Sarutobi clan as well. Many years ago, Sasuke had adopted him after the death of his parents. And he'd grown up as Hiruzen's brother ever since.

"It's not my favourite," Hiruzen protested. "Besides, there is nothing wrong with enjoying sweet drinks."

"Sure," Danzo said and ordered a strong sake. Hiruzen did the same.

Akari tried the plum wine, mostly out of courtesy. It led her to some small talk with Hiruzen's father, which ended in her politely thanking him for the good advice on her drink. Sasuke then complemented her father on having such a well-spoken and courteous daughter. A compliment her father of course returned in regard to Hiruzen and his sister Haruhi.

It all felt more like an official meeting to Akari than a casual evening with friends like it ought to. It didn't help that some of the clan heads at the other table were discussing an arranged marriage between their clans.

Tobirama didn't even try to pretend that he was enjoying the evening. Most of the time he looked bored, with arms crossed in front of him. Akari felt a strange appreciation for his honesty.

Eventually, he left to go to the bathroom.

She glanced after him and emptied her wine glass.

A few minutes later, she too excused herself and left the room. In the hallway that led to the bathrooms, she met Tobirama, who was on his way back.

He only shortly glanced at her, then attempted to walk past without paying much attention to her at all.

Akari stepped in his way to stop him.

He looked confused.

"I still have your kunai," she said.

He checked down the hallway. No one seemed to be around. In a low voice, he said, "Drop it by my office in the mailbox. Or simply leave it somewhere in Konoha. I'll find it.

Akari didn't move out of his way just yet, and he didn't try to squeeze past. "Tomorrow night. I'll take it to a secret place. If you feel like seeing me, privately, then you should come tomorrow night. I'll be there."

Tobirama didn't understand.

"If not, just pick it up any other day." She smiled and stepped aside to let him pass.

He already parted his lips to speak when they heard someone approach.

Quickly they both left into opposite directions.

* * *

For the rest of the evening and the whole of the next day, Tobirama was wondering about her words. He didn't know what the secret place Akari talked about was supposed to be. Even more or a riddle was her telling him that he should come if he wanted to see her "privately."

He surely hadn't planned on seeing her in private. And even now he was still unsure.

Throughout the day, he kept checking on the position of the kunai that was in Akari's possession. He could clearly feel it at the Hyuuga compound.

Tobirama knew the whole village by heart. He had marked the most important places with a hidden seal, and he knew the exact position of every single one of them.

Evening came and soon it was nighttime. The kunai hadn't moved a bit. He was still in his office, eyes focused on some mission report he ought to sign. He read the same line over and over again, but his brain was not interested. Instead, he kept wondering whether there was something Akari wanted to talk about. It might even be something of importance, he told himself. So maybe he ought to meet her. Then again, it couldn't be that important or she would have told him to come regardless.

His brain kept trying to figure out the intent behind her invitation.

It was late into the night, past midnight, when Tobirama checked for the kunai again and finally found that it wasn't at the Hyuuga compound anymore. He found it outside of Konoha's walls, moving away from the village.

He immediately rose from his chair. He couldn't think of any good reason why the kunai would not be in Konoha anymore or why Akari would leave the safety of the village. Except if something had happened to her. Though her getting abducted again this very night seemed equally unlikely. Especially after she announced that she'd take the kunai to a secret place.

He decided that whatever the reason, he would have to follow and find out. So he put on his armour and left the building. Just in case, he teleported to a kunai he had left outside of Konoha. This way, no one saw him leave Konoha. He then continued on by foot.

The kunai eventually stopped moving. Tobirama approached it carefully.

He arrived at a small lake in the middle of lush woodland, a good distance away from Konoha and into the mountains. Streams of water ran down a stony slope and formed small waterfalls. Akari sat upstream on top of a rock. He slowly approached.

"I didn't think you'd arrive this fast." She smiled at him. "Actually, I wasn't sure whether you'd come at all."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, and stopped a few steps away from her.

"Just enjoying the night sky."

He didn't follow her glance up towards the sky. "You shouldn't be here. This is far away from our guarded areas. It's not safe."

"I've been coming here for years now."

He frowned. "That doesn't make it any better."

"I'd say the risk of me getting kidnapped while lying in my bed at home is higher than it is when I'm sitting here. Because, you know, that's where I'd be looking if I wanted a Byakugan. Not some random place in the woods."

He didn't return the smile that was still on her lips. "I can't just let you sneak out of Konoha at night."

"Oh? As far as I'm aware, there is no rule forbidding me to leave the village whenever I want. It's not like I'm deserting. I'm simply enjoying the serenity of nature."

Tobirama crossed his arms, unsure how she could not see how problematic her attitude was. "How'd you sneak past the guards on the wall though?"

Akari smirked a bit. "I'm afraid that was rather easy."

Tobirama grunted. "Guess I need to have a serious talk with them."

"I'd rather you don't. I have a Byakugan and know their deployment areas and guarding routes. I'd say that's not really fair for them." There was a moment of silence. "Do you want to sit down?"

"No," he answered short and to the point. He was still standing a good distance away from her and did not intend to come closer. "So what's the point of me being here?"

She averted her eyes for just a moment. "Does there need to be a point?"

Tobirama wasn't sure where this was going. He'd expected her to at least have something to talk about since she already invited him. "Why'd you bring the kunai here? I told you to leave it in my mailbox or in Konoha."

The smile on Akari's lips died. "I might not be exactly sure what I was thinking when I invited you here yesterday. I just wanted to see you again, I guess."

He couldn't quite believe his ears. "You _just wanted to see me again_? You are one reckless woman. You can't just call me here to meet you in secret in the middle of the night because you feel like it. This is not what we had agreed on."

"I'm not reckless. I know this place is safe and neither have I forced you to come here."

"How could I not come here when my kunai mysteriously moves out of Konoha's walls?" he snarled at her.

"Well, I apologise this caused you so much trouble. There's your kunai." She pointed to one of the trees close to Tobirama. It stuck in its trunk. "Take it and leave."

"So you are staying here?"

"It's not like I came here solely for you. I simply thought you might enjoy the night sky here as well. Just forget I ever invited you."

"You can't just do whatever you want and then tell people to forget about it afterwards. That's not how this world works."

"Then go and tell Hashirama for all I care!" she snarled back at him.

Tobirama snorted with anger. Then shook his head. "Fine, do whatever you want. Just leave me out of it." He turned around and walked away.

"Your kunai," she reminded him. "That's what you came for, no?"

He forcefully pulled it out of the trunk and left, discontent with how this conversation turned out. Whatever this little game of hers was supposed to be, he wasn't going to play it. He had better things to do than meet her at night.

Akari had decided to pretend that one night never happened. And he was set on doing just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's 2021 is going good so far! Mine was pretty busy, but hopefully I can write more again from now on and the next chapter won't take over 1 month again! :)
> 
> Also wanted to drop a collective "Thank you so much for commenting!" for all you great people who have left nice words on this fanfic so far. I always read those in my emails and am very happy about them. ... and then I forget to actually go to ao3 for a few days to reply and feel too awkward to reply days later :')
> 
> So yeah, thank you all so much for leaving a comment (and for just reading too!). I very much appreciate it!


	14. A Cup of Tea

Tobirama was lying in his bed, awake. It was late into the night, and he couldn't help but wonder whether Akari was sitting at that lake somewhere in the woods instead of being home in her own bed. She was reckless. It bothered him. He hadn't crossed three countries to bring her back just for her to get herself kidnapped again.

He turned around to his side. Going to the lake to check on her was out of question. He couldn't possibly keep seeing the Hyuuga heiress at night, in secret. It was inappropriate. She was inappropriate.

And yet somehow, he wanted to go there again. Just to make sure she was safe.

He eventually got up and put on a yukata. If sleep wasn't going to come then he wasn't going to just lay around and let random thoughts torture him. So he quickly brewed some tea and took the mug with him on a little journey to the roof of the Hokage building to get some fresh air.

He hadn't expected to find his brother. Hashirama was standing at the railing and looked at the sleeping village, a sky filled with stars above him.

When he noticed his brother's presence, he turned around. "Oh, Tobi. You are still awake as well?"

Tobirama stepped next to him and took a sip of the hot beverage. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are doing here, I'd imagine. I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to see how our village was doing."

Tobirama followed his glance. Konoha was quiet, and almost every house was resting in darkness. Still the village was fairly lit up, with lanterns along the main roads. Some people were still walking from one pub to another, others were about to close their restaurants for the night. Most of all, the village was serene.

"Look at all this," his brother said with a smile on his lips. "We built this. Everyone's able to just live their lives."

His brother was right. Konoha truly was a blessing. And it was a blessing that it was the thought of a troublesome woman that kept him awake at night instead of the fear of being murdered in his sleep. The peace in Konoha had to be kept, and the people of Konoha had to be protected. Silencing his thoughts was a small price to pay for that.

He took another sip.

Even though there was a smile on his brother's lips, Tobirama could tell that he was upset. He'd known him long enough to be able to read his various smiles properly. And this one didn't reach his eyes at all.

"Something worrying you?" he asked.

Hashirama chuckled. "A lot." There was a moment of silence in which Tobirama waited for him to go on, but Hashirama didn't really feel like sharing his problems. So he added, "They shouldn't become your worries too. I'm putting enough responsibilities on your shoulders already."

"I don't mind," Tobirama shortly replied.

His brother kept his eyes on Konoha. "I just wish Madara would return. It's not right that he should take all the blame upon himself."

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"The capital." He chose to hold back on the details of Madara's visit to the capital. Eventually, he decided to just change the topic again. "How is Takuma doing? Does he enjoy your training?"

"He is very determined, just like all of them. He is also constantly trying to compete against Inori."

That last comment did not surprise the Hokage. "And Inori?"

"Barely acknowledges his existence."

Hashirama sighed. He had always hoped those two would grow up to be close to each other. But while Inori appreciated being partially raised by a Senju, Takuma did not appreciate that his father treated Madara like an additional parent. And he had appreciated his father's idea to unite both clans through marriage even less.

"Sometimes I just don't know how to talk to him. Well, most of the time. Everything I say seems to be wrong. You know, I asked him whether he wanted to travel with Madara for a while, see a bit of the world before his child is born. But he thought I was trying to get rid of him." He looked at his brother with expectant eyes.

Tobirama scowled at him. "Are you expecting parental advice from me?"

Hashirama laughed. "Takuma likes you well enough. More than me at least."

"Yes, that's the result of me not being a parent but an uncle. If I was Takuma's father, I'm sure he would have run away years ago and would now work for another Hidden Village."

Hashirama only smiled and took the cup of tea from him to have a sip himself. "You'd be a good father," he eventually said. "You always looked after me when we were younger. Even though I'm supposed to be the older brother."

Tobirama snatched the tea back. Jokingly he said, "Awfully sentimental again tonight, are we?"

His brother laughed, but was still nervously tapping his finger on the railway. Tobirama observed it from the corner of his eyes, wondering what was bothering the Hokage this much.

It took a long time until Hashirama finally spoke. "The ninetails is getting restless. It's not a content beast in this peaceful village."

"What are you talking about?"

"It wants the old world back. With all the bloodshed and chaos. That's the kind of world the tailed beasts desire."

His brother barely ever talked about the ninetails. At least not to him. Because in Hashirama's eyes, only a Jinchuuriki could truly understand what it meant to have a tailed beast sealed inside of you. In Konoha, Madara was the only person he opened up to about this part of his life. It had always been like that. And Tobirama had learned to accept it.

There was an invisible threat that tied the two Jinchuuriki together. A threat that had been strong enough to form a friendship that looked past all the prejudice and hostilities between their clans.

"You still have it under control though, don't you?"

Hashirama nodded. "It's been a part of me long enough for me to know how to deal with its defiance. But I do wonder how true peace will ever be achieved with these beasts around. It's like our battle in the Land of Stone awoke it. I could feel the rush and adrenaline. And it felt good. Satisfying."

"And?" Tobirama pressed him to keep talking.

Hashirama hesitated. "I haven't slept well since."

"You should have told me. It's been weeks."

His brother shook his head. "The ninetails is my responsibility. If I never sleep again at all until the end of my days, then so be it." He slapped his hand on Tobirama's back and pulled him closer so abruptly that the tea almost spilled. "This here is quite relaxing, isn't it? We should do this more often. Next time, bring me a cup of tea too."

To Tobirama, it had always felt like his brother lived in a different world. Ever since Tobirama could remember, Hashirama was not only his brother, but the vessel of the ninetails. The expectations that fell on Hashirama and Tobirama had been very different, and most of them had always fallen on his brother instead of him. The least he could do was to give him all the support he had to offer.

"Ah well, I better try and sneak back into bed without waking Mito." He ruffled Tobirama's hair like he had done ever since they were children and then left him alone on the roof before he could protest.

Tobirama stayed a while longer, slowly finishing his tea. His eyes never left Konoha.

* * *

The next day, Tobirama left his flat with fresh determination. Whatever Akari chose to do at night was none of his concern. She also hardly striked him as stupid, so he was ready to believe her that the place was safe enough. He started his day with a run around Konoha, then returned home to shower.

On his way to his brother's office, he suddenly heard Akari's voice. He stopped, and hid behind a corner. Tobirama wasn't sure why his first instinct was to jump into hiding. But sometimes avoidance was better than unnecessary confrontation.

He carefully listened to what was going on. She seemed to be talking to Inori. He couldn't quite believe his ears when he heard Inori offer Akari to secretly teach her the Shadow Clones.

"Your father will never know," she added.

Tobirama held back a scoff. He surely wasn't teaching her his jutsu so she could give it to others when she hadn't even mastered it yet. It was dangerous, and solidified his belief that his brother had raised three utterly reckless students.

"Stop it, Inori. I doubt Tobirama would appreciate your words." Akari's voice made him want to turn around and vanish back in his flat.

Their voices became louder as they seemed to approach. So Tobirama quickly pretended he'd been on his way instead of hiding. Seconds later they ran into each other.

"Oh, Tobirama-sensei," Inori cheerfully greeted him. There was not a single sign of guilt on her face.

His eyes fell on Akari first. He expected her to not meet his, or at least to throw a dark glance at him after their last conversation at the lake. But to his surprise, she also greeted him with a polite smile.

"I was just on my way to the training ground, actually," Inori said. "Maybe we can go together."

Akari stood there with hands neatly folded in front of her and a patient look on her face. Tobirama couldn't make any sense out of her.

What he did know, however, was that he wasn't going to spend a minute longer with those two than he needed to. "I was going to talk to my brother. You go ahead. I'll be there soon."

He was about to continue on his way, when the door to the Hokage building was pushed open and someone came rushing inside.

"Lord Tobirama!" the girl exclaimed as soon as she spotted him. It was Hiruzen's little sister, Haruhi. Quickly, she ran up to them. "It's my brother; he collapsed."

"What do you mean he collapsed?" Tobirama asked, and had already forgotten about his brother.

Inori and Akari were equally concerned.

"He and Danzo were practicing the Shadow Clone jutsu. I guess he used too much chakra." The girl spoke rushed, and urged him to follow her to the hospital.

Akari and Inori naturally tagged along. After all, Hiruzen was their friend as well.

* * *

"Stupid," Tobirama repeated for the third time. "I have told you two again and again that this is not a jutsu you can master in a week."

Inori and Akari were waiting outside in the hallway, but they could hear well enough what was going on inside the hospital room. Akari felt like she wasn't supposed to be there, yet Inori was convinced they should make sure Hiruzen was fine. But judging from the tone of Tobirama's voice, his condition couldn't be too bad.

"I probably really shouldn't teach you," Inori whispered. She was leaning against the wall, waiting for Tobirama's lecture to be over.

"That's what I told you," Akari shortly replied. It wasn't that she didn't want to learn the Shadow Clones. And maybe if the circumstances had been different, she would have agreed to Inori teaching her a forbidden jutsu in secret. But this one she didn't want to learn from Inori.

It didn't take long and Takuma appeared as well. He approached the hospital room quickly, but slowed down once he saw Inori and Akari standing in front of it.

"What happened?" He stopped a good portion away from them, so that to strangers, it would seem like they weren't acquainted at all.

Inori only shrugged.

"It seems Hiruzen and Danzo took their training a bit too far," Akari explained in her stead.

Tobirama's scolding voice slowly became calmer and eventually died down. They couldn't hear what they were talking about inside the room anymore. A few minutes later, the door opened and Tobirama stepped outside. He seemed fairly surprised to find all of them waiting.

Akari wondered how he would react if she decided to join their training after all, especially now with Hiruzen injured. Because part of her did want to spend that time with him, even if it was in public and with her friends around. She wanted to be part of this group they had too. But she had tried to see him again. And he pulled away. She had to let it go.

"You are here too, Takuma? Who told you?" he asked his nephew.

"Heard some people at the Hokage office talk about it. I went there to find you after I waited at the training ground and no one showed up."

Tobirama sighed. This was the Kagami incident all over again. Except that last time, it had happened during training with him present. And not as part of a contest on who can produce the better Shadow Clone behind his back.

"How's Hiruzen?" Inori asked.

Akari decided to keep out of the conversation. She was not part of this.

"Fine. You can go see him if you want." His voice was harsh still. He'd been worried when Haruhi told them. But after he found out Hiruzen was just fine and would recover in a few days, worry was replaced with anger and disbelief.

"Can we go back to training then?" Takuma asked. "This has held us up long enough."

"No, we are not going back to training," Tobirama immediately answered in a once again scolding manner. "I don't have the time to repeat myself and only teach part of you. You have the time off until Hiruzen has fully recovered."

"What? But that's not fair!" Takuma complained. "It's not like I'm the one who took training too far."

"Can we at least train on our own then?" Inori tried to compromise. Tobirama had made it clear that the jutsu was either practiced with him present or not at all.

"No, you cannot. There are enough people in this village who think I shouldn't be teaching you this jutsu at all. The least you can do is to act responsibly."

"But -"

"No 'buts', Takuma. The way you've been acting, always trying to outdo Inori, you will be the next one in hospital. And Inori," he switched his attention to her and said, "If I find out you are teaching this jutsu to anyone else…" He didn't finish his sentence, just shook his head and walked past them. "You are supposed to be adults. Act like them."

Akari glanced after him as he left, wondering whether his last comment included her too.

* * *

The next day, Tobirama was still in disbelief over his students' stupidity. A good rivalry was a healthy addition to one's training. But not if it resulted in one part ending up in hospital.

He was working on the budget accounts of Konoha and the clans. They were overdue already. It had taken his brother long enough again to collect the necessary records from all clans. But Tobirama was set on finishing them today. Now that he didn't have to teach the Shadow Clones for a while, paperwork was once again all he had planned for the day.

Unfortunately, he soon realised that there were documents missing. Those of the Hyuuga clan, to be precise.

So he walked over to his brother's office, and asked whether he'd seen the financial account of the Hyuuga clan. Hashirama was sitting at his desk, enjoying a cup of tea. He considered his brother's question for a bit before his eyes fell on a pile of papers lying on the floor.

Tobirama sighed, and started to sort through them. However, even after looking at everything twice, he couldn't find what he was looking for.

Hashirama considered again and started searching his desk. Tobirama was already giving up hope, when suddenly a bright smile formed on his brother's lips.

"Found them!" he exclaimed. He reached for them, unaware of the cup of tea still standing right next to his hand. He knocked it over, and the liquid quickly spread all over his desk.

"Are you serious, brother!" Tobirama grabbed the accounts he needed and tried to shake them dry. But the ink was already unreadable and words turned into black smearing instead.

Hashirama threw apology after apology at him while trying to save the other documents on his table.

Tobirama sighed. "It's fine. I'll just go to the Hyuuga compound and ask for another copy. You just… get this mess sorted out."

Only when he closed the office door behind him did Tobirama realise that maybe he didn't want to go to the Hyuuga compound. Maybe it was better if his brother went. But he quickly brushed those thoughts away. If he wanted his accounts finished today, he better took care of the matter himself. And asking Akari's father for clan accounts really was no big deal.

So he locked his own office and went on a little walk to the Hyuuga compound.

* * *

It hardly surprised Tobirama that out of all the people living in the Hyuuga mansion it had to be Akari who opened the door for him.

She didn't bother to hide her surprise when she saw him.

"I'd like to talk to your father," he shortly explained.

"I'm afraid he's not home. Is there something I can help you with?"

Part of him was ready to leave again. Still sort of hopeful, he asked, "When will he be back?"

"Tonight, most likely. He's out hunting with our clan members."

Tobirama considered. He did need those documents, urgently. But there was not much to be done if the head was not home.

"I'm his official representative during his absence," Akari politely said. If Tobirama didn't know any better, he never would have guessed that she had been angry with him only a few nights prior. "So if it's urgent, feel free to speak to me instead."

"I was going to ask for some documents," he admitted. "I need to finish the finance accounts for our village, sooner rather than later. But it seems my brother…" If it had been any other clan head, Tobirama would have omitted the small fact that the Hokage spilled tea all over official clan records. But it was Akari, and as his former student, she had to be well aware of his brother's clumsiness. "He spilled tea over the accounts of your clan. So I need a new copy."

She sighed, but as he thought, did not seem surprised at all. Instead, she stepped aside to invite him in. "I was actually the one preparing those records. So I can go find the originals again."

Tobirama hesitated to enter.

Akari noticed. "I'm sorry. It might take a while. Do you want to come back later instead? It'd help me though if you could point to the exact parts you need. Otherwise I'd have to copy it all again."

He reluctantly took off his shoes to step inside the Hyuuga mansion. It was quiet.

"Is there no one else around?" he asked when he couldn't see anyone as he followed her down the hallway.

Akari smiled. "No, it's only you and me."

"Of course," he said, not quite believing his luck.

"Would you like some tea or coffee?"

Tobirama couldn't really relax around her, and the fact that she acted like nothing ever happened between them irritated him more than it should. His eyes glanced down the hallway behind them.

"What if someone comes back?"

"I'd offer anyone tea or coffee. It's good manners." She considered for a moment. "Actually, I guess I wouldn't. I usually only offer tea. But I knew you liked coffee."

Tobirama wasn't too impressed. "How? I don't think I ever mentioned that."

"Hashirama-sensei mentioned it once. He complained you always drank too much of it and then stayed awake all night." She stopped in front of her father's office, but continued the conversation instead of entering.

Tobirama grumbled. "Anything else that guy told you over the years?"

"Quite a bit." She smiled at him again. Her voice was almost a whisper when she said, "We could talk about it over tea and coffee one night at the lake." Tobirama's face had to give away how he felt about her comment, because she instantly continued and added, "I'm just joking. You made it quite clear that you aren't interested."

She turned away from him and opened the door, ending the conversation before he could say anything else. He wondered whether the last comment was a sign that she was angry with him after all.

Tobirama waited in the doorframe. He didn't just want to step inside without permission. Offices held many secrets. It was a private place. And the further he could stay away from Akari, the better.

Only when she invited him to enter did he take a few more steps, then stopped again in the middle of the room.

He looked around a bit as Akari started to search the desk before moving on to one of the shelves. The place was highly organised, similar to his own office. At least that left him hopeful that he would be able to leave again soon.

As he waited, his eyes found Akari, who was focused on finding the right folder. He wondered whether he ought to ask her about that place at the lake again and if she was still going there. Because he was convinced that she shouldn't.

He quickly averted his eyes when he realised that he was staring at her. He noticed that she was wearing her hair down. He'd only seen her like that once, back in the cabin. Usually she always wore it neatly tied up. It brought back inappropriate memories, so he tried to find something that would distract him again.

There were pictures on the wall. Most of them showed Akari at different ages, or her brother, or both of them. Though he couldn't find a single one of her mother, which surprised him.

"Oh, found it," she said.

The folder was fairly high up on a shelf, and Akari had trouble reaching it. Even standing up on tiptoes wasn't quite enough. He offered his help, but she declined. Instead, Akari jumped up a bit and grabbed it. More folders and notebooks came falling down with it.

They all landed on the floor. He reached down to pick them up for her. A picture stuck out of one of the books. Akari pulled it out, slightly curious herself.

It was a photograph of a family. A young father with his wife and daughter. The girl was a few years younger than Akari, but Tobirama couldn't help notice the similarities in their faces. She almost looked exactly like her, just had a different hair colour. He now recognised the man as well. It was the Hyuuga's head, Akari's father, but many years younger.

Akari stared at the picture. She seemed lost in thought until Tobirama started speaking again. His voice startled her.

"Who's that?" he asked, more to get a reaction out of her than out of actual interest.

Akari smiled and put the picture back inside the book. "My father and his first family."

It was an answer he hadn't expected. And maybe he was curious after all. "I didn't know your father had another family. What happened to them?"

She shrugged and didn't look at him. "What do you think? His wife got killed for the Byakugan. The girl, my older sister, was abducted by another clan. Apparently my father and clan searched for her for months, but couldn't find out who took her. Eventually she scratched out her own eyes and killed herself. Her husband was nice enough though to return her body to my father." Her voice was cold, especially on the last part. "That's pretty much all I know."

He quietly watched her put the books back in order. The one they needed she put aside.

"Bloodlines, they are both a blessing and a curse." He took the books from her. "Let me put them back."

This time, she let him help her. "I'm sure your clan knows enough of these stories as well. I guess I'm blessed because my father chose to join Konoha after my mother was murdered as well, so I grew up in an at least somewhat safe environment. Yet I keep troubling him by leaving these safe walls."

"An easy fix would be to just not leave these safe walls."

"I didn't think you'd be on my father's side. You think I also shouldn't go on missions?"

"I'm on no side. But I certainly don't support sneaking out of the village at night."

She nodded understandingly, but he wasn't quite sure just how genuine her reaction was.

"I'm afraid I can't give you the original records. But if you show me which pages you need, I can copy them for you."

Akari led him to one of their official conference rooms where her father also usually catered to guests. So even if anyone returned, there was nothing suspicious about them being together. She treated him like any other official guest.

Yet Tobirama felt different being with her. It didn't feel like an official meeting, even if it was.

He looked through the pages. "It's probably quickest if I copy the parts I need myself. Is that alright with you?" He took pen and paper, and waited for her permission.

"Sure. Aren't you busy though? I could bring it to you later."

"I'm afraid I needed these records yesterday already. First Hashirama forgets to give these to me and then he spills tea on it." He kept complaining while already starting to note down numbers from the first page.

Akari sat down next to him, but left an empty seat between them. A smirk formed on her lips. "On the day my father is absent. It's almost like he knows about us and is trying to have us spend time together, isn't it?"

Tobirama's face darkened. He stopped writing.

"Relax, I'm just joking. We'd know if he found out. There is no way Hashirama-sensei wouldn't give both of us an hour-long speech."

"Your jokes aren't funny."

She chuckled lightly, then let him continue copying the numbers he needed.

Tobirama wondered whether it had been a mistake to stay instead of accepting her offer. It had not been a lie that this was the faster way. It made sense for him to stay. No one would question his presence.

He glanced at her to see what she was doing. Their eyes met, and Akari immediately turned away.

She got up, and without meeting his eyes again said, "Would you like tea or coffee now? I don't know how much you are going to copy, but I assume it'll take a while. I should prepare some."

"Coffee then. Black."

"Right away!" she said a bit too cheerfully and hurried out of the room almost like she was fleeing.

Tobirama used the moment away from her to take a deep breath and sort his thoughts. He couldn't grasp what was going on in her head. And, as a result, did not know how to behave in her presence.

She returned a bit later with a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for herself. He shortly thanked her, and she sat down again to watch and wait.

He couldn't really concentrate with her close, even though she stayed perfectly quiet. Each number he had to check twice to make sure he copied it correctly.

"What are you drinking?" He eventually asked, hoping that a conversation could ease his mind.

"Jasmine tea. My favourite, in case you were wondering."

He nodded. The tension between them made him want to grab the records and simply leave. He wasn't the only one feeling it.

Akari stirred her tea for the twentieth time. When she noticed him looking at her, she said, "Sorry, I guess me sitting here watching you is a bit awkward. I'd leave you alone, but I don't want to be impolite."

"I don't really mind." He focused on his numbers again, but could see her grasp her cup tighter from the corner of his eyes. He wasn't sure whether she thought that he wanted her gone, or whether she thought he wanted her to stay. But it was neither, so he added, "Whether you stay or go, I don't mind either way."

It took him by surprise that she got up. He hadn't actually expected her to leave. He didn't say anything as she walked to the door.

"I'll be right back then," she informed him and left him alone once more.

He continued writing, pretending he didn't care at all. A few minutes later, she quietly reentered the room, moving almost on tiptoes to not disturb him. This time, she sat down all the way at the other end of the table and pulled out a book to read.

"Just tell me if there is anything I can help you with," she said again politely, then went on to mind her own business.

Tobirama glanced at the title of the book. It was on the art of flower arrangement, a topic that was utterly lost on him. But her being busy made it easier for him to concentrate on his own work. So he kept on copying.

Soon, he had everything he needed and closed the records, signalling her that he was done.

"That was quicker than I expected," she said and closed her own book.

He slid the originals over the table towards her and murmured a short thanks, then got up to leave.

"Tobirama!" she quickly called him before he could open the door. There was a sense of urgency in the way she said his name that had his hand freeze on the doorknob.

He glanced back at her, unsure what to expect.

"There is something I've been wanting to talk to you about but I wasn't quite sure how. Even now I…" She kept fumbling with her fingers.

Tobirama tensed. He was pretty sure he didn't want to hear what she had to say. Yet he stayed to listen.

"About Kagami…"

She looked at him as though he ought to know what she was hinting at.

"Do you blame me?" When he didn't react at all, she continued, "I mean, it's fine if you do. I'd understand. After all, everything might have turned out differently if I hadn't been kidnapped that day. So, what I want to say is… I'm really sorry." She bowed low. "I'm really genuinely sorry."

"Stop," he said. "There's nothing you have to apologise for."

"But if I hadn't -"

"No," he interrupted her. "I read the mission report. Several times. If this was anyone's fault, it was Hashirama's and mine for continuing the mission into enemy territory. Looking back at the situation, we should have stayed away from the Land of Stone. There was no way of knowing the outcome at the time, but if you need someone to blame, blame me and not yourself."

She couldn't meet his eyes, yet weakly nodded. "Thank you for saying that."

"You don't need to thank me. It's not like I said that to make you feel better." He opened the door and left.

Akari hurried after him. "I'll accompany you to the front door!"

Right before the door she squeezed past him to be the one to open it for him. "Thank you for your visit," she said, followed by another short bow.

Tobirama only sighed at the formalities and put his shoes back on. He stepped outside, fairly content that he'd gotten what he came for rather quickly. He was ready to leave. Yet somehow, he stopped and glanced back at her.

"Are you still going to that lake at night?"

She seemed surprised, but then avoided his question and in return asked, "Why do you want to know?"

He wondered.

They both noticed someone approaching the Hyuuga compound and looked down the forest path. A few moments later, Emiko walked up to them.

Tobirama nodded at Akari, and left. Emiko cheerfully but politely greeted him as he walked past her. He could hear her ask Akari the reason for his visit. Akari told her about the clan records, and Emiko went on to tell her what she had bought in town.

There was no suspicion in Emiko at all, Tobirama realised. She didn't question his presence. She didn't care that he'd been alone with Akari. No one cared, because no one knew.

He looked down at the copied pages as he walked back to his office. It was good that he had gotten them. Yet he wished he would have gotten an answer to his question too.


End file.
